[Vijin]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

Since I could not add the 2nd kid, I skipped the details of the toddler. Can this cause an issue at the border?

One of my friends who came 2 weeks before me was in similar dilemma. He finally chose to omit his 1 year old kid from list. He showed the kid at Walayar and told them about this. As per him, officials didn't bother and it was ok.


Regarding quarantine, yes I completed 14 days, and is currently under another 14 days observation period, as is the norm, where I need to avoid "unnecessary" travel.

[MSAneesh]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

However, There is one issue with Kerala epass. You can apply for only 3 people in one epass for a car.

TN ePass allows driver + 3 ppl. Kerala is allowing only Driver + 2.

I think you can register 4 people including the primary applicant. You need not add the primary applicant again as a traveller.

In case you are not able to do, just choose the next higher category of vehicle. For 5 people(2 were kids, still), a friend had to choose a higher category vehicle(i.e. SUV in place of hatchback/sedan).

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by prasathlr

Weird! I have applied for the Kerala pass twice and haven't received them. Are you supposed to be quarantied when you reach Kerala?

Did you check your SMS? They dont send any emails, All I got was an SMS which had a download link.

Originally Posted by balenoed_

The thing that they check at the border is whether all the names are there in the registration or not. So yes, all names has to be present. Since it is a toddler, I am not sure, but otherwise yes. Can't you split the registration and provide same vehicle details. Like 2 in one pass and 2 in other pass. I vagualy remember someone doing like that.

Thank you. To be on safer side, I will apply another pass for the 2nd kid with the same vehicle number

Originally Posted by Vijin

One of my friends who came 2 weeks before me was in similar dilemma. He finally chose to omit his 1 year old kid from list. He showed the kid at Walayar and told them about this. As per him, officials didn't bother and it was ok.

Even I am hoping it wouldn't be an issue. As balenoed suggested, I will apply for another pass for the kid and keep it as a backup.

Originally Posted by MSAneesh

In case you are not able to do, just choose the next higher category of vehicle. For 5 people(2 were kids, still), a friend had to choose a higher category vehicle(i.e. SUV in place of hatchback/sedan).

Thank you. This is a good suggestion. But since TN transit pass is dependent on the KL pass, I do not want to change my KL pass. Will keep this in mind for future travel requirements.

[jayakumarkp]

Just wanted to quote my experience on travelling back to kerala from Pune.

Prep Work :

• Had applied for passes of Punepolice, Karnataka transit pass , TN Transit pass and Kerala e-pass for Domestic Returnees.
• Kerala Epass - https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/home/addDomestic. Get this first. Since all others would require you to upload the KL pass( Destination epass) in their respective applications.
• Pune police - punepolice.in Required me to provide a self attested letter stating i am not staying in a containment zone. The pass only approvided ~24 hours before the travel date.
• Karnataka - https://sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in/Sevasindhu/English - Selected the option - Covid-19 : Travel to Karnataka by Road/Train/Flight. You can select Transit traveller as a traveller type option. Though i had applied at the least a week in advance , the pass was only approved ~24 hours before the travel.
• TN - https://tnepass.tnega.org/#/user/pass Was approved in few hours after applying.
• Had taken print outs of all of the above approved passes.
• Had taken enough food, beverages and snacks to last the journey.
• Got my tyres changed.(Long pending task. ) and glasses cleaned up thoroughly. ( Didn't bother with a full wash of the car since, weather forecast was for rains throughout. )
• Packed up the car with luggage the previous night.
• I chose to drive down alone and wife, kids and sister took the flight to reach our common destination which was in Palakkad - Kerala. We planned it in a way to reach our home on the same day, few hours apart so as to quarantine together. We have the house to ourself and hence making the quarantine slightly more easier on everyone.
• Gloves, Hand sanitizers, Surface disinfectant and masks.

The Drive

• Started my drive on the 3rd of August ~8AM.
• Passes were checked at multiple places. Most places i just had to show the printed passes from within the car - show it on the window.
• Only at few places did i have to get down from the car and provide my details to official. ( KA entry , TN some district and at Kerala Walayar check post. )
• Some of the check points ( KA entry and some district checkpoint at TN), checked the pass and still required us to get outside and register our details with some officials. ( even though i was a transit passenger at these states. )
• Almost all the check points had dedicated makeshift lanes made for passing through the lorries/trucks. Don't remember any of the check posts checking the lorry traffic. Most were being just waived through.
• Kerala's Walayar check post was the most well prepared and thorough in their setup and checks. The ever Infamous Walayar excise check post is now fully converted for registration of incoming passengers. There was separate counters for different types of travellers, ambulances, toilets, facilities for medical checkups, taxis. Really elaborate and well thought out. Refer to Vijin's post for more details.
  Compared to this, other state's entry check points had police men and officials on temporary shelters, mostly exposed to the hot/rainy day. Wish there were better facilities for them.
• It was a very relaxed drive due to the very less two/four wheeler traffic.
• Really, it was lovely and such a nice feeling in general seeing the greens, the long highway stretches, the mountains. All that after such a long time in lockdown!!!
• Rained quite a lot at a lot of stretches.
• Had few breaks at couple of petrol bunks(Shell, HP) . Mainly to use their restrooms. Used the sanitizer quite liberally all over touch points and my hands.
• The initial plan was to take quick naps at any of the bigger petrol bunks near to Hosur. During the drive, I decided against that and booked at Hotel La Classica in Hosur after talking to them over phone.
• Reached the hotel around 10PM in the night and after thoroughly sanitizing the room myself crashed for few hours. ( Was carrying a surface disinfectant bottle with me. )
• Woke up around ~430 AM and after freshening up, started at about 5AM.
• Took a power nap for 20-25 mins somewhere after Salem.
• After completing the formalities at Walayar, hit home at palakked ~11AM.

[kochup]

Originally Posted by kochup

Any update on the Madurai - Tirumangalam - Shencottah - Kollam route. Any idea how many COVID checkpoints etc on this route.
Planning to start from Bangalore next week with family

Travelled to Kollam from Bangalore on 18th Aug.

Route Update

NH44 - Bangalore - Tirumangalan
- Had more traffic than expected until Karur, but this could be also because many people reported online and offline that roads were empty and also have not travelled on these roads other than weekends so not sure whats the weekday traffic situation.
- Some hotels were open and most of them had cars parked in front of them

NH744 - Tirumangalam - Kollam
- Tirumangalam, Rajapalayam and other towns enroute were pretty crowded
- Roads are not smooth after Rajapalyam until Tenkasi turn-off to Shencottah
- KL sides roads were good/smooth until Punalur
- Some road work in progress between Punalur and Kottarakara

COVID Checkpoints

- Had no checkpoints exiting Bangalore

TN
- First TN Checkpoint immediately after Attibele tollbooth
- Checkpoints at all district entry points in TN
- Had to get down at 3 - 4 places (Namakkal, somewhere between Karur and Dindigul, Rajapalayam, Puliyarai) to provide details like Origin,Destination,Name, Age, No. of Pax, Vehicle number, Phone Number, TN Pass Number (~5 mins based on crowd)
- Physically checked TN pass at Puliyarai Checkpost and also asked for Aadhar card for Identity Verification (~10 mins)

KL
- Stopped at Aryankavu Checkpost and redirected to a school within 200mtr (St. Mary's) for medical clearance
- Get the medical clearance at this school and asked to go to another building on the opposite side of the road to get quarantine details and also vehicle pass from MVD dept officer who is seated within the same premises.
- Pasted a big sticker on the windshield - "Outstation Passenger, High Risk"
- Got a call from Police station and Taluk Office next day to check and confirm arrival and other details
- Took ~1 hr to complete formalities (less than 10 arrivals at the same time)

[rajblr]

Anyone know the road conditions from Kozhikode to Kottayam? I usually take the NH69 route (via Thrissur), Is ponnani-Chavakkad route better?

[majumon]

Need to travel from Bangalore via Muthanga to Haripad, which would be the best route to take after crossing Muthanga since slot available to enter Kerala was only through this, travelling solo.

[majumon]

Let me rephrase my request travelling tomorrow morning from Bangalore via Muthanga to Ernakulam, seek the best route after crossing Muthanga please.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by majumon

Let me rephrase my request travelling tomorrow morning from Bangalore via Muthanga to Ernakulam, seek the best route after crossing Muthanga please.

Part of it is straightforward. Muthanga, bathery, kalpetta(byepass) , down the ghats, Thamarassery, kozhikode(byepass), ramanatukara, Chelari.

From here you have a couple of options. Continue on the NH, Kotakkal, Valanchery, Kuttipuram bridge , Kunnamkulam(byepass), Thrissur, Ernakulam.

Variation on the above, after Kuttipuram bridge at the round about, deviate via Ponnani ,Chavakkad, Triprayar, kondungaloor , N Paravur, Ernakulam.

Google may deviate you just before Kotakkal ( Edarikode) via Tirur, Chamravattom, Ponnani , Chavakkad.

Going back to first option, from Chelari you can deviate and go via parappanangadi, tirur, chamravattom...

All of it will be 2 lane roads with good amount of traffic. I would personally recommend the highlighted route. Basically NH 66 all through.

Assume road conditions would be good all through. But not sure if the monsoon has had an impact.

[Kottayamkaran]

Completed my Bangalore to Thrissur travel today. Started from Bangalore at 5.45am and reached Thrissur at 2.30pm. Had obtained Tamil Nadu transit pass and Kerala state entry registration. I took a color print out of the Tamil Nadu transit pass and sticked it on the windshield. This helped me not to get down at any of the checkposts in Tamil Nadu. The police personnel verified the pass by checking it on the windshield and let us go. There are check points at each district borders in Tamil Nadu. Since sunday is a lockdown in Tamil Nadu, most of the restaurants and petrol bunks were closed including Reliance. However, some of the COCO pumps were functional. We made use of the rest rooms in various pitstops such as Shoolagiri McDonald's and Salem SharavanaBhavan. Even though the restaurants were closed, rest rooms were open for travellers. Reached Walayar and police directed us towards the service lane towards old sales checkpost. There was not much crowd at Walayar and it was well organized with staff sitting behind glass enclosures and maintaining proper social distancing. Only i got down at Walayar and showed the regiatration slip. Checked my temp and verified the pass details. While exiting, the checkpost, Police will paste a sticker on the car with Car details and date. There is another checkpost at Waddakanchery where one person have to get down and enter the details. 14 days of quarantine was advised by officials at Walayar. Now at home and in quarantine for 14 days.

[tomraven99]

Originally Posted by rajblr

Anyone know the road conditions from Kozhikode to Kottayam? I usually take the NH69 route (via Thrissur), Is ponnani-Chavakkad route better?

Ponnani Chavakkad route is patched up and surface isn't smooth like the Trichur route. Take the former if you are travelling at night time only as there are a lot of small towns en route. Dont travel via parapannangadi-tirur as there is construction going on in this stretch. Instead take kottakal-tirur-chamravattom-ponnai route

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by Kottayamkaran

Only i got down at Walayar and showed the regiatration slip. Checked my temp and verified the pass details. While exiting, the checkpost, Police will paste a sticker on the car with Car details and date.

They were doing temperature check for all when we traveled a month back, all had to get down and present yourself at the counter. Pasting of the car pass is also a new addition

[Sree73]

Karnataka lifts all restrictions on inter-state travel.

No need to register on Seva Sindu application. No quarantine for Asymptomatic patients. It's almost back to normal as far as travel is concerned.

[pms]

Originally Posted by kochup

Travelled to Kollam from Bangalore on 18th Aug.

Route Update
TN
- First TN Checkpoint immediately after Attibele tollbooth
- Checkpoints at all district entry points in TN
- Had to get down at 3 - 4 places (Namakkal, somewhere between Karur and Dindigul, Rajapalayam, Puliyarai) to provide details like Origin,Destination,Name, Age, No. of Pax, Vehicle number, Phone Number, TN Pass Number (~5 mins based on crowd)
- Physically checked TN pass at Puliyarai Checkpost and also asked for Aadhar card for Identity Verification (~10 mins)

KL
- Stopped at Aryankavu Checkpost and redirected to a school within 200mtr (St. Mary's) for medical clearance
- Get the medical clearance at this school and asked to go to another building on the opposite side of the road to get quarantine details and also vehicle pass from MVD dept officer who is seated within the same premises.
- Pasted a big sticker on the windshield - "Outstation Passenger, High Risk"
- Got a call from Police station and Taluk Office next day to check and confirm arrival and other details
- Took ~1 hr to complete formalities (less than 10 arrivals at the same time)

Thanks for the details, even am planning to drive down BLR To Kollam 2nd week of Sep, hopefully it materializes. Just wanted to check whether they ask entire family to get down at the checkpoints or just one person?
What time you started from BLR and reached Kollam, just to get a feel of the time taken with all these checkpoints? Lastly you got down at any place for food or managed with home packed stuff?
I wish and pray that TN & KL too lift the e-Pass & HQ procedures like Karnataka before my travel.

[Sree73]

Originally Posted by pms

I wish and pray that TN & KL too lift the e-Pass & HQ procedures like Karnataka before my travel.

Doubtful. Tamilnadu may lift. But, Kerala may continue. Reasons could be..
New cases in Kerala is increasing on a daily basis.
Secondly, Kerala authorities will say there are no restrictions for travel. They just need registration details of travelers for tracking purpose.