[freakmuzik]

Hello folks! I hope you all are staying happy and well where ever you are amidst this pandemic situation. I very recently had to travel from Chennai to Trivandrum to get back with my family and I wanted to share the details and experiences of this adventurous trip.


My sister and I reside in Chennai for work purposes and Trivandrum is our home city, where our parents currently reside. We did have plans to go back to Trivandrum when the COVID situation worsened but we were worried about the safety during travel and also had some commitments in Chennai which we were unsure about. These made us wait all long and finally we had to pull out from some of our commitments as the situation never got better and hence decided to go home for at least a month or two, stay home with our parents and help them emotionally and physically to the extent we can.


We finally made our minds on July 16th and started preparing slowly as we had to arrange and plan things at our house. Our only possible mode of travel was our six-year-old car, a Hyundai Eon, (which has run 38k km) because we had to carry quite some luggage including some musical instruments. But I was super concerned as the car wasn’t through its annual service this year due to the COVID situation and the tyres and battery weren’t in great shape. The next day, I went ahead and changed the battery. I fixed the horn and also had to buy a tyre. I also noticed the coolant to be low, so went ahead and bought a litre of coolant, diluted, and refilled it at home.

Amaron Flo with 55 months warranty




Roots Single Horn

Engine Oil Level - Check
Coolant - Topped Up
Brake Fluid - Check
Battery - Changed
Tyres - Checked and Changed
Electricals - Check
Windshield Washer Fluid - Topped Up



Though I wasn’t fully satisfied, I felt more confident than before to drive down.


The infamous E-Pass:


The basic process is:
1. Apply for Destination State Pass.
2. Apply for the Departing State Pass (you need the arrival state pass reference number)
3. Digital copies should suffice but I took printouts to keep my phone free from contact. The TN website asks you to stick a copy on the car's windshield.



July 19th, 2:00 AM -

As you can see, I sleep late. My friend texts me that the slots for Kerala E-Pass are filling up quickly and there’s already a 10-12 days delay for the check posts in North Kerala. I immediately visited the Covid-19 Jagratha website (https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in) and began the process. It was very straightforward.


Step 1: Enter Mobile Number. After a Captcha check, you’ll receive an OTP. Enter it and proceed.

Step 2: Enter basic details, departing Address, arrival Address, the reason for travel, local ward number (i had to google it up and later realised I got it wrong), Vehicle details, co-passenger details, some basic things about whether I had been in contact with any COVID positive person, etc.

Step 3: Travel mode details. And then had to choose the check post from a dropdown. When you then select a date, a drop-down appears with time slots from 6 AM or 8 AM (I forgot that) to 6 PM with an interval of two hours. Every two hours had 100 available slots. The earliest available slot then was on 24th July. I chose the 4 PM - 6 PM slot considering the travel time and my preference to travel during the day.

Step 4: You will immediately get a message on your phone with a link to the PDF of the e-pass.




Tamil Nadu E-Pass ( https://tnepass.tnega.org/#/user/pass ):

It’s the same process as above except you have to mention the reference number of the corresponding Arrival state pass and also there’s a limited drop-down to choose the reason for travel. I faced the same issue of having to google the ward number, etc here as well. There was also a box to explain the reason for travel. The TN e-pass also comes with a huge QR code whereas the Kerala e-pass comes with a smaller one. Once you apply, it shows that the application will be processed and that I will receive a message. People usually felt getting a TN e-pass was difficult but I submitted my application at 02:38 AM and got the message of confirmation with the e-pass link at 08:55 AM. That was quick too!



Up next was to clean our house, finish all the vegetables and groceries left, etc. This was such a huge task. Since we didn’t know when we will be back, we had to pack all our small appliances, disconnect and protect the large appliances from dust, sort all the perishable goods that can’t be saved and take them home as much possible, put out all the waste and so on! It was a tiring process.


July 23rd was a long day with all the above-mentioned activities. For me, it was more about getting the car ready and buying stuff for travel and safety. We also had some work to be finished before we leave so it was super hectic. My sister stayed up late and cooked food for the travel and I slept as I have to drive ( We both cook and drive, but one of us had to take up one responsibility which we do easily).


Safety measures:



• 6 pairs of disposable Latex gloves
• 6 disposable Face Masks over and above the fabric ones we use
• 6 disposable eco-friendly plates and spoons
• 500 mL sanitiser bottle with a spray nozzle
• Three small hand sanitisers
• Tissue rolls
• Gpay for Fuel payment (even the bunks recommended that)
• All necessary first-aid medicines along with whatever other ones we had with us
• Eco-friendly garbage bags




[freakmuzik]

July 24th



We planned to leave at 5:00 AM but with all the extensive works we had and with the time taken to load the luggage (obv we had to fold the rear seat), we left by 5:50 AM. Traffic in TN was surely lesser but there were vehicles early in the morning too. I had filled the car till auto-cutoff the previous night and checked all the lights again in the morning. We prayed and started our drive. My sister was super tired and I was mentally prepared even if she sleeps in the front passenger seat. The most interesting fact was how quickly we reached Kattangulathur (the place of SRM University). Usually, it takes eons to reach there but due to the lockdown, the roads were so much faster.


My sister slept within an hour from our starting time and I was driving happily. The sun was rising slowly and I enjoyed the trees along the highways and imagined so many things as I drove - how our roads compared to other countries, how some drivers are morons, how good it is to not have buses on roads, how difficult it is to have motorcycles and auto-rickshaws plying on National Highways and more. Tolls kept appearing quicker than usual. The google maps showed approx 14 hours to reach Trivandrum which I couldn’t understand why. This would be my 3rd or 4th round trip between Chennai and Trivandrum and 14 hours is the time it takes during normal days with being stuck in outer Chennai traffic. This was always running behind in my head.



We travelled the first 250km non-stop and then halted at an Essar Petrol Station for a washroom break. It was good to see them being maintained very neatly. We spent around 10 or 15 minutes there, stretched our limbs, and got back on the road. I continued to drive and my sister chatted for a while and then continued to sleep.



We then halted for breakfast at around 10:30 AM under a tree shade. Had some delicious Semiya Upma along with a vegetable kurma. The car was idling as the sun was up. We finished it off in 15 minutes and did not step out of the car.

I continued driving again with me gulping kilometres and the tolls gulping my money. I kept noticing the toll rates to be significantly higher than the last time I travelled. When the trip meter reached 466.7 km at around 1:30 PM, I halted to refuel as the Fuel Display dropped down to two bars. The car drank 23.5 L and we resumed the journey. From there on, the landscape was so different. From the easy sighting of large trees along the highways, the next stretch was so dry with much lesser greenery. All we could find were shrubs and very small trees, which further delayed our lunch break as we found no shade to stop. We halted for lunch at around 3:30 PM when we found a reasonable shade in the service lane. We halted for around 20 minutes and enjoy the yummy Lemon rice, some steamed cabbage, and kurma. The plates came handy and so did the garbage covers, tissue papers, etc.




We resumed and I was a bit worried about how the stretch around Madurai was. The last few times, the roads around the airport were super bad and mostly single lane with dusty pothole-filled roads along with intense truck traffic. But to my surprise, the roads were now widened and was a breeze to travel. There was still some work happening but we joined the NH7 in no time.



Post that, we could see even more amazing views of the Western Ghats, and my sister remained awake so it was even more fun. There was some rain and altogether the weather was so beautiful. We were worried about the check post timings as we might arrive only post 6 PM. But a call to an available number of another Kerala check post assured us that it wouldn’t be a problem.

En-route Nagercoil

We reached Nagercoil check post at 4:45 PM and I could see a long queue of minimum 20-25 vehicles ahead of me. I walked down to the check post to see a long queue and spent at least 30 minutes for what ideally was just noting down our details. More details on check posts in a dedicated heading.


I think we left the check post at around 5:30 PM or so and then the roads were really bad and there was very high traffic as well! We couldn’t wait to get home at this point. I also felt the need to be extremely careful with my car as I don’t want any issue to crop up with the suspension or the tyres. It was good to see flyovers constructed at Parasala and two other towns. They were two-lane but given the condition of those heavily congested places, even the tiny flyover made a huge difference. Though I don’t know how good it would be with full traffic flow. We reached the Kaliyikkavila check post at around 6:30 or 6:40 PM, just showed the TN pass for them to enter the details. We were told the next check post is 100 meters ahead and that we had to stop again. I was surprised but that’s when I realised that’s the Inchivila Check post. So I assume Kaliyikkavila belongs to TN and Inchivila to Kerala.


We had to spend around 30 minutes in total and then we headed home and reached around 8:15 PM. Some roads around Balaramapuram were really bad. Also to be noted is how the traffic post the Inchivila check post was almost zero due to the triple lockdown. It was such a pleasure to see Trivandrum after many months.

A very unique 750 km!

[freakmuzik]

Check Post Experience:



1. As mentioned before, since the majority of travel is in Tamil Nadu, we had the TN e-pass stuck on the windshield. It comes with a QR code as well. We were first intersected by a policeman somewhere near Trichy right after a toll plaza. He walked towards our car and scanned the QR code using his phone and let us go once he was satisfied with whatever he saw.


2. Later, at a subsequent check post, they stopped us and asked where we were headed to. As soon as they heard ‘Kerala’, they left us. So I assume they only wanted to check vehicles plying within TN.


3. 11:55 AM - The next one was somewhere between Trichy and Madurai where we were asked to park our vehicles and head to the check post. I parked, wore my gloves, the mask was anyways on and I also had my shades. I also carried my pen in case there was anything to write. At the counter there, the separations were made of bamboo and the police personnel were sitting around 3 feet away. I had to tell him my name, departure and destination place, departure address, phone number, license plate details, number of co-passengers, and also had to show an ID Proof of mine. Post this, he signed a tiny piece of paper and asked me to show it to the police personnel standing at the exit of the check post. I was happy that I didn’t have to touch or do anything at all. I walked back to my car, my sister sprayed the sanitiser over my hands and then we drove off after showing the piece of paper (drenched in sanitiser).




4. 2:30 PM - The next check post was at Kovilpatti where they had blocked the flyover across the Kovilpatti junction and redirected the vehicles to go in the service lane. We were asked to park and the same routine followed. My sister waited in the car and I went to give all the details.

*
5. 3:42 PM - Gangaikondan was the check post here and again the same procedure was followed.



6. 4:50 PM - I took the diversion from the NH7 towards the Nagercoil route. Within a few kilometres, I saw a long line of cars parked and I parked mine too. I had to walk around 200 metres to just reach the Nagercoil check post. There were five counters and I was asked to join the first counter which already had a considerable queue. The other five counters were having just one person each. I realised everyone had to show their papers to this counter and then will be redirected to the nearby counters where they will note down the details. It seemed complex here and I had to wait for quite some time. Moreover, some people were so careless and were crowding and standing too close. I had to remind the person behind me twice to not touch and keep a safe distance. The policemen did not bother to help it either. It took me around 30 minutes to finish this and I sanitised every exposed part as soon as I got back to my car.




7. 6:30 PM - We were stopped at the Kaliyikkavila check post and there weren’t many vehicles. Following the same procedure, I was told the next check post is 100 meters away where both of us will have to get down.


8. Inchivila check post was just 100 metres away. When I went to the check post, they directed us to a nearby auditorium (Shivasakthi auditorium). It was right on the main road and very easy to locate. There was ample parking space but the approach of the entry was a little steep. We parked, wore our gloves, took the papers and sanitisers as well. There was a lady right outside the building and she asked me to place the Kerala pass on the table. She wore masks and gloves and verified our details. Later, she poured quite an amount of sanitiser onto both our hands. Two token numbers were given, our temperatures checked and noted behind the token (36.1 degrees C it was for both of us). We were then directed into a building through very legible markings. As we got in, there was a registration desk where we handed over our pass, gave our quarantine address, vehicle details, and some other personal details as well. They noted it down in a piece of paper and directed us to a cabin that had a doctor and a nurse. The registration desk was set at least a meter away from where the visitors can stand. Also, every place had proper barricades. The doctor's table was set one meter away from the table for visitors. He asked us about our general health and other details after which he issued us both a certificate with all the details. We had to produce this to another counter for them to note it down. We were free to go after this and all we had to do is to produce these two papers at the Inchivila Check post where they followed the same routine as other check posts and requested us to follow the quarantine strictly. All this took a maximum of 30 minutes. We felt safe along the entire process and everyone here wore masks, wore gloves and the auditorium itself was not in anyways congested.




We then headed back home happily with all procedures done.


There were some points to ponder though. Even with a QR code in place, no check posts had any digital mechanism to verify our details. Every check post had handwritten records where in some I did not notice them jotting down the time. Some policemen had only their mouths covered but not the nose. At the Nagercoil check post, they could have had two queues - one for people leaving TN and another for people travelling within TN so that the crowding could have been avoided. If there was a handheld scanner at all these check posts, they could have just scanned it, verify the number of passengers and let us go. This would have saved both the policemen and the passengers from the risk of exposure. Still, I salute their will to work on such stressful and risky situations to help us all have safe and happy days.

Also want to share the details of the Toll Plazas across the entire route. I don't have a fast tag yet, meaning after every cash transaction, I had to sanitise and also had to make sure the money they returned wasn't touched again for a day at least.

Click to enlarge and view in full resolution

• The speed-breakers at most of the tolls were much more reasonable than before
• The Madurai Kanyakumari stretch of NH7 isn't in the best of shape with most of the surfaces being merely average and the medians having dried up vegetation mostly
• The toll rates have significantly increased. 875 rupees was paid for approximately 650 kilometres of tolled roads.

About my Eon:

Wouldn't be nice of me to conclude without saying a few words about the car. Though i was extremely tensed for the first few hundred kilometres, the car seemed to be stable and crossing a couple of hundred kilometres gave me some confidence. I steadily maintained between 80 kph and 100 kph. The car was pretty stable until an indicated 95 kph post which the NVH increases and doesn't inspire much confidence either. The front seats aren't the best as the support for lower back is quite poor. Also being a tiny car with tiny wheels, i had to be extremely careful on even small potholes and joints. Otherwise, the driving position is quite comfortable and i somewhat liked the larger-than-average steering wheel. I am contemplating about selling the car to something more safe and engaging to drive. Hence, I'm extremely happy to note the car is in good shape and performed this emergency drive quite flawlessly also returning between 19 & 20 km/L on an average.

Thanks to each one of you for reading this. This travel was very different for me compared to the usual road trips and I wanted to share the real happenings so that anyone who wanted to travel would know the procedure and the risks involved. If you have any further queries, please feel free to ask and I will respond with whatever information I have. Do stay safe, wear masks, sanitise any goods you buy, and sanitise yourself. Let’s all hold on tight until we find a foolproof solution to this.


Cheers!

[aah78]

Note from Support: Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing!

[samee_arian]

Nice detailed write up of your travel.. Felt as if I was travelling with you too. Never thought EON could manage such a long journey because your writeup felt like a breeze. Have a great stay and hoping to read your journey back once things get better.

Stay healthy and stay safe.

[SKC-auto]

Eon is a very reliable car, I have a 1.0L eon. I have done couple of 600km trips. The front seats are quite good in its class.

I do not understand the purpose of all these checkposts, is online registration not sufficient. By asking people to visit a checkpost you are creating a way for more virus spread. You can always prove from where your coming with your toll receipts or fastag transactions.

[AnAvgJoe]

Thank you for that very well written piece, reminded me of an 'Enid Blyton' book. Made for a great read. Travel is an adventure in these times.

I do wish that they streamline the interstate pass system and make it completely contactless. Having said that don't know if that is practically possible.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by samee_arian

Nice detailed write up of your travel.. Felt as if I was travelling with you too.. Never thought EON could manage such a long journey coz your writeup felt like a breeze.. Have a great stay and hoping to read your journey back once things get better..

Stay healthy and stay safe...

Thank you so much! Eon is pretty decent and after driving around in small cars quite a lot, I think it's more about the drive than the car. Not that I wouldn't want to upgrade my car but I have equally, if not more, enjoyed my highway rides in my humble Nano GenX. Will sure update my return trip as well.

Originally Posted by SKC-auto

Eon is a very reliable car, I have a 1.0L eon. I have done couple of 600km trips. The front seats are quite good in its class.

I do not understand the purpose of all these checkposts, is online registration not sufficient. By asking people to visit a checkpost you are creating a way for more virus spread. You can always prove from where your coming with your toll receipts or fastag transactions.

Indeed. The front seats in the Eon felt better than the Alto according to me but the seats of my Nano, though lacking in support or sufficient bolstering, felt much better in long drives maybe due to the high seating position as well.

About the check posts - digitalisation would have made it a breeze. All they need would be an app in their phones to Scan the barcode which would in turn be turned into records. I'm not a tech expert, but the current system is so slow and also has a lot of loopholes.

Originally Posted by AnAvgJoe

Thank you for that very well written piece, reminded me of an 'Enid Blyton' book. Made for a great read. Travel is an adventure in these times.

I do wish that they streamline the interstate pass system and make it completely contactless. Having said that don't know if that is practically possible.

Thanks a lot! It sure was an adventure with no idea of what was going to happen the next moment. Streamlining is sure necessary - in applying as well as checking. I wish India had a single window to apply rather than applying for different states individually. But I too don't know much about state border control and how it works to comment more.

[sameer sultan]

Good to know you reached your home without any issues.

A simple interstate road trip has become so cumbersome. It is indeed an hassle applying for passes and stopping at every district check post for verification.

Covid19 has snuffed out the joy of travelling totally.

You had all things covered from home cooked food to Gpay for fuel and having print outs of the passes, to have a contactless journey but missed out on Fastag. In the current scenario Fastag is really a boon and necessity as it helps to breeze through the tolls without having any human contact.

[GrandTourer]

Glad you guys made it safely home and enjoy the rest of the lockdown with family

Originally Posted by freakmuzik



Usually, it takes eons to reach there but due to the lockdown, the roads were so much faster.



I see you sneaked a nice little pun in there. hahaha!

I believe Eon is a very capable little car and no surprise it made the 750 odd km journey without much fuss. Having driven it for over two years and taken it out to long road trips quite a few times, I can definitely say it's a keeper. Many more happy miles to you in the Eon.

Out of curiosity, is it the 1.0L or the 800cc one? Your interior looks like it is the range topper.

[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.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Good to know you reached your home without any issues.

A simple interstate road trip has become so cumbersome. It is indeed an hassle applying for passes and stopping at every district check post for verification.

Covid19 has snuffed out the joy of travelling totally.

You had all things covered from home cooked food to Gpay for fuel and having print outs of the passes, to have a contactless journey but missed out on Fastag. In the current scenario Fastag is really a boon and necessity as it helps to breeze through the tolls without having any human contact.

Thank you! And yes, I missed out on Fastag due to some change in plans wrt to selling my Eon in Chennai, etc. It sure would have made my drive a breeze. Point noted!

Originally Posted by GrandTourer

Glad you guys made it safely home and enjoy the rest of the lockdown with family


I see you sneaked a nice little pun in there. hahaha!

I believe Eon is a very capable little car and no surprise it made the 750 odd km journey without much fuss. Having driven it for over two years and taken it out to long road trips quite a few times, I can definitely say it's a keeper. Many more happy miles to you in the Eon.

Out of curiosity, is it the 1.0L or the 800cc one? Your interior looks like it is the range topper.

Haha I'm happy it caught your attention! Thank you. This is the Magna+ variant with the 800cc engine. The 1.0L wasn't launched at the time we purchased it. I've rarely come across people who say the Eon is a keeper. This trip did make me feel that way surprisingly as it behaved quite well for a sub-4 lac rupee car, but personally, I've been thinking of selling the Eon to get something more safe, good to drive and spacious. But at the time of purchase, I couldn't imagine paying the same price to get an Alto! The interiors of my Eon are still so great with no faded plastics and not a single rattle after 6 years. Sadly, I've had some gripes with the car and the A.S.S which has made my mind uncomfortable with Hyundai as a whole

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.

Absolutely agree! The general awareness seemed bad and I could notice so many people roaming without masks once I crossed Viluppuram and I could see that all the way to the TN border. I thought the 7 hours I took was long enough but you beat me with a 9 hour figure.

About the Fastag, point noted! Will get it done ASAP.

[avaneesh.]

Was amused to see that the kerala checkpost wasn't digitalized. I am a frequent traveler to kasargod as my maternal family resides in kasargod and we stay in Mangalore. There are two checkposts just after talapady toll booth on the way to kasargod. One will not be stopped in the respective checkposts of the leaving states. The first kerala checkpost was for daily pass holders, which used to be issued to the daily travellers prior to the outburst in Karnataka.

Migrant travellers will only be stopped in the next checkpost which is about a km away from the first. After checking one's temperature, you'll be directed to the counter which is quite empty nowadays. At the counter one just needs to provide his reference number and you are allowed to pass. That's it. As soon as your refrence number is typed , you'll get a SMS to the registered mobile number.

While coming back to karnataka, I found that the details were manually entered by the police personnel at the checkpost.

Amusing part of this endeavour is that I've been quarntined since July 4 . July 4- July 25 in kerala and from July 25 onwards in Karnataka

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by avaneesh.

Was amused to see that the kerala checkpost wasn't digitalized. I am a frequent traveler to kasargod as my maternal family resides in kasargod and we stay in Mangalore. There are two checkposts just after talapady toll booth on the way to kasargod. One will not be stopped in the respective checkposts of the leaving states. The first kerala checkpost was for daily pass holders, which used to be issued to the daily travellers prior to the outburst in Karnataka.

Migrant travellers will only be stopped in the next checkpost which is about a km away from the first. After checking one's temperature, you'll be directed to the counter which is quite empty nowadays. At the counter one just needs to provide his reference number and you are allowed to pass. That's it. As soon as your refrence number is typed , you'll get a SMS to the registered mobile number.

While coming back to karnataka, I found that the details were manually entered by the police personnel at the checkpost.

Amusing part of this endeavour is that I've been quarntined since July 4 . July 4- July 25 in kerala and from July 25 onwards in Karnataka

That's real nice to know. But I'm sorry to hear about your double quarantine! I heard somewhere that if you receive a 'No COVID' certificate post your Kerala quarantine, you'll be exempted from the 14 day quarantine in the other state once you travel back. I have to check though. I too had a relatively easy time once i entered Kerala with hardly anyone (maybe the time I visited played a role) and also received an SMS right after I reached.

Have a safe quarantine!

[avaneesh.]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

I heard somewhere that if you receive a 'No COVID' certificate post your Kerala quarantine, you'll be exempted from the 14 day quarantine in the other state once you travel back. I have to check though.

Yes that's true! But the quarantine norms was changed on the date I entered kerala. On 4th July, GOKL declared no need of prior approval of passes for entering the state, just like SevaSindu of Karnataka. Moreover additional 14 days observational quarantine was added to the existing 14 days home quarantine. Plus, Although I had entered the values of my Gram Panchayat and Ward Correctly, the authorities redircted the pass to a different Gram Panchayat.

Due to all these confusions, I couldn't get the quarantine Certificate and hence had to be quarantined here, although I had only travelled 50 kms

I dont regret it as its safer inside the home, as the cases are rising here.