[NitinDev]

I have a query regarding Kerala-TN travel. My parents are at my sister's in Cherthala. They want to come here (Chengalpettu) by August-end. Can I pick them up at Kerala-TN border and come back the same day? I can arrange a taxi to drop them till the border. If this is possible, which passes should I apply for?

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by NitinDev

I have a query regarding Kerala-TN travel. My parents are at my sister's in Cherthala. They want to come here (Chengalpettu) by August-end. Can I pick them up at Kerala-TN border and come back the same day? I can arrange a taxi to drop them till the border. If this is possible, which passes should I apply for?

Yes it should be possible! I had watched a Youtube video of a family doing the exact opposite. The wife travelled from a city in Tamil Nadu to the Walayar border in a taxi and her husband picked her up from Kerala in their own vehicle. I'm not too sure about the passes but I think once you enter the website, you'll be able to figure out better. Make sure you have the number of the cab you want to use before hand as the pass mandates the vehicle number. I think maybe in your case, don't forget to add the names of your parents when you apply for a TN pass for yourself. Do correct me if I'm wrong and looking forward to know how it works for you. Stay safe and travel safe.

[NitinDev]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Do correct me if I'm wrong and looking forward to know how it works for you. Stay safe and travel safe.

Thanks! If I picked them up directly from Cherthala and return the next day, quarantine is a must? If so how many days?

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by NitinDev

Thanks! If I picked them up directly from Cherthala and return the next day, quarantine is a must? If so how many days?

I'm not so sure about that. But there are multiple kinds of visits and the rules differ for each of them I believe. Your parents need to undergo full quarantine anyways but I think you may not have to do that. Please do check with your district officials if you can as that would be the best. A friend of mine who travelled from Nagercoil to chennai and back just to get his car and belongings back home was forced to undergo Institutional quarantine & had to undergo a Covid test as well. Unfortunately one person who was there along was tested positive it seems. So they are forced to undergo 14 days of Institutional quarantine even though their results are negative. In TN, it seems different districts are following different protocols unlike here in Kerala. So kindly check with the health officials there to get the best picture.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by NitinDev

Thanks! If I picked them up directly from Cherthala and return the next day, quarantine is a must? If so how many days?

No quarantine for you in Kerala as you are returning the next day (quarantine exempted for short term visits, business visits etc). But on your return, you might also need to go under quarantine in TN, your other family members for sure they will need to go under quarantine in TN. TN quarantine is not so strictly enforced unlike here in Kerala. I came from Chengalpettu to Alleppey and was in 28 days quarantine (room + home).

May be you have a genuine reason, I would in your place not take elderly people to Chennai, considering the situation in hospitals there. I see now even in Chengalpettu the cases are going up. Good luck.

Spike

[Quinn]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Had a similar experience last month when I drove down from Bangalore. Social distancing is not strictly maintained in TN checkposts, especially felt the crowded Tirunelveli posts created more harm than good.

Had crossed Madurai by about 10AM, and expected to reach home post noon - but reached Trivandrum only by 7PM.

Please do take a Fastag ASAP if you plan to undertake more highway drives (and I really recommend Paytm for convenience). Worked flawlessly all the way from Bangalore to Trivandrum.

Does this require e-passes for the 3 states or its enough to have KA (exit) and KL (entry) ?

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by Quinn

Does this require e-passes for the 3 states or its enough to have KA (exit) and KL (entry) ?

I think you need to have a Transit e-pass of the states you're passing through over and above the exit and entry state passes. It's easy to get that I believe.

[Quinn]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

I think you need to have a Transit e-pass of the states you're passing through over and above the exit and entry state passes. It's easy to get that I believe.

Thank you. I will check it out but the idea of many check points and processes which does not seem to be consistent and organised makes me rethink about travel plans

[NitinDev]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Do correct me if I'm wrong and looking forward to know how it works for you. Stay safe and travel safe.

Started from CHE around 4AM on 29th Aug. Reached TN-KL border by 11.30AM. Surprisingly my sister was able to come all the way from KL till TN check post. No checking in Kerala check post. Picked them up from TN check post, they asked for a pass. We had TN entry pass. That's it. Returned back to CHE by 7.30PM. No checking anywhere.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by NitinDev

Started from CHE around 4AM on 29th Aug. Reached TN-KL border by 11.30AM. Surprisingly my sister was able to come all the way from KL till TN check post. No checking in Kerala check post. Picked them up from TN check post, they asked for a pass. We had TN entry pass. That's it. Returned back to CHE by 7.30PM. No checking anywhere.

Beautiful! Happy to know this whole plan went smoothly. I believe post the August 15th notification, things have eased down a lot. Stay safe and wishing you a happy time with them.

[freakmuzik]

I guess it's time for the next update as I've returned to Chennai, but this time in my Nano.

The Eon was given for service and also its rear windshield broke out of nowhere. So it's been in the workshop for a while but I had to come to chennai at the earliest. This time it was me alone though.

So the Covid effect has gotten much simpler this time around. All i needed was a TN e-pass which now needs no approval or anything. Kerala pass isn't needed if one is exiting the state. Coming to the travel, I don't have any pictures as it was all quick and also because I was alone. Let me get into the specifics of the travel. Had all the precautions just as for my Chennai - Trivandrum drive.

• Topped up the coolant, checked all fluids, washed the windshields, got all the car papers checked, changed two front tyres and got balancing and alignment done as well.
  
• Started from Trivandrum at 06:13 AM precisely (planned for 5, but got delayed). Left my home, stopped at a fuel pump in Killipalam for full tank fuel and got the air pressure corrected to 28 psi at front (it was around 47psi in the front tyres that were recently changed at an MRF showroom) and 30 psi at the rear (rear was around 33).
  
• Then rightaway hit the road. Tvm - Nagercoil as always is a sad story but something that's getting better. Some flyovers, widening work, etc. is all helping. Should be much better in one or two years. I reached the NH7 in about 2 hours 30 minutes I think. Crossing the border was nothing at all. I did stop, two policemen confusingly asked me to visit the counter. I showed my e-pass and they just asked where I was heading to. Nothing else. No writing down information or anything of that sort.
  
• Maintained a steady 80-90 mostly and there was heavy crosswinds till midway between Tirunelveli and Madurai. Took 6 hours to cross Madurai. I took 15-20 mins break for Breakfast and Lunch.
  
• The road post Trichy is the better one than the NH7 roads. The car just conveys it in the way it maintains a certain speed.
  
• Everything was super smooth and fast until I crossed Tindivanam. It got horrible from Chengalpet and took me over 2 and half hours and some horrible traffic jams to cover the last 50-60 kilometers.
  
• Reached home finally at around 08:30 PM. I think without the horrible traffic, one hour would have been easily reduced in the travel. Can't imagine the scenario if things were totally open.
  
• All toll plazas were a breeze expect the couple close to chennai. Since this was a very sudden plan and there was no way I could get Fastag delivered to my house (all couriers and parcels weren't working in Tvm), I tried taking it at the toll. But there was just Airtel Fastag available and I wasn't interested. Plus the staff there didn't have masks of any sorts and he was also looking unwell. I asked him to wear a mask and just drove away. So yet again it was pay in cash, get receipt, sanitise, drive, repeat.

Distance - 790 kms
FE - 21kmpl

Pointers related to Covid scenario:

Everything seems to be super casual now. The number of people without masks outnumbered the ones with. Saw so many policemen without masks, toll plaza staff - name it and it'll be there in my list. And I couldn't believe my eyes when i came closer to Chennai. Just a month ago it was so different - such less number of vehicles, so many police check points etc - now all gone! Roads are crazy packed and it just seems normal when things aren't actually. So my dear friends, you may feel the world around you has moved on and you haven't, but please don't get carried away. Stay safe and take your own informed decisions.


About the car:

Other than the obvious stuff,
Things I loved:

• Steering
• Straight line stability
• Air con (is a chiller when it works)
• Tall seating
• 180mm GC.

Things I didn't:

• 2 cylinder engine and 4 gears - tiring it is on the highway. The engine noise does tire you when it's revving constantly high at 90kmph
• 25 L fuel tank (though I had to stop only once for refuel, just like my Eon)
• Drum brakes (though they are quite good, two hours of horrible traffic and so much braking resulted in fade and it felt so bad)
• Air con stops throwing air well in certain conditions.

I feel the steering and suspension is what I was so surprised about. In a condition without crosswinds, the car is stable. Steering is sooo much better than the squashed banana feeling I get in my Eon and the there's no sense of losing control in a straight line, even over joints - so I think the suspension is tuned pretty decently too. But high ground clearance (though also a boon), and the tiny engine plus gearbox makes it a tiring ordeal to travel on the highways. All I really want is an able calm cruiser that can stick to 90-100kmph like it's a piece of cake and get me home safe and happy. Quite a realisation if you ask me.

For the Nano - a 3 cylinder, 5 speed Nano with Airbags and ABS - it would just be great. But keeping it aside, it still did a brilliant job. I can't believe I have had quite some awesome trips in this car.

1. Tvm - Chennai - Tvm (2015)
2. Chennai - Pondy - Chennai (2015)
3. Chennai - Kochi - Thrissur - Coimbatore - Isha - Madurai - Thenmala - Tvm (2017)
4. Tvm - Chennai yet again now

Cheers!