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-   -   Interstate travel with the Covid-19 restrictions (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/222857-interstate-travel-covid-19-restrictions.html)

Hi Everyone,
I, along with my wife, wish to travel from Bangalore to Punjab sometime in June 1st or 2nd week (keeping the plan a little flexible) by road. I am thinking of taking Bangalore -->Hyderabad-->Nagpur -->Agra --> Delhi Bypass --> Punjab. I have a few queries. I hope TeamBHP can help me :)
1. Do I need to apply for all the state passes which I will cross?
2. Is the travel allowed only from 7 AM to 7 PM? If yes, where and how shall I plan to stay?
3. Any necessary precautions that I need to take?
4. Is there anybody else as well who wish to travel in their car? Would love some company, even if it is for in-route destinations :D

Thanks in advance

With no definite policy on interstate travel in place, nothing can be said for sure. There is a statement issued and rules applied by authorities in the morning and is nullified / withdrawn by the end of the day or next.

With the rules and policies changing by the hour and no coordination between states, I feel taking a flight would be a better bet. At least, you can be sure you will only get stuck either in Bangalore or Punjab/Delhi and not in the middle of nowhere.

Hi Abhi,

Whatever travel plans you make, make sure you check out the quarantine procedure of that state.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/pu...-14-days-89800

On the ground no one knows how someone going by a car has these rules enforced. Like my cousin who was stuck in Mumbai for 2 months, recently somedays back got permission to travel back to her house in Baroda. The police came and asked the entire family to not get out for 7 days.

I don't think there's any point planning anything until at least 31-May when Lockdown 4.0 ends. Far too many things are fluid at the moment, changing drastically in a matter hours; to make it worse, there isn't any consistency in the rules amongst States.

Even if Lockdown is lifted, you can't be sure hotels would be immediately welcoming out-of-state/town tourists, even if they're just transiting.

Flights are just about getting started but as we read in the news, that's been pretty chaotic as well, given the cancellations and re-booking on other airlines.

Wait and watch for a week or so, I'd suggest.

I had posted a query about a family which was stuck in West Bengal, and wanted to get home in Bombay. BHPians had posted some useful tips there. Please also read that thread.

Replies to the point.

1. Only start point and destinations passes are required. You'll get a date range where the pass is valid. You have to reach within the date. There's enough leeway for long journeys.

2. Travel can happen outside of those times as well. Stay is a problem. Once can never be sure how well the hotel has been maintained. If you have some relatives willing to host you for a night or two, that would be the best option. Else sleep in car after parking in a fuel bunk.

3. Take enough water, pack enough food, fill fuel on time and don't want for range to come within 100 kms. Take a puncture repair kit and ensure car is in good condition.

4. Good Luck with that. Ensure you don't take passengers not listed in the pass. The numbers can be less than in the pass, but not more.

Please strictly avoid all interstate journeys. KA just banned ALL travel from RJ, MH, TN, GJ & MP whether air, rail or road!

Just communicated this to 2 office colleagues who were stuck in Chennai all this while and were on the way back to BLR after procuring all manners of e-passes etc. Situation must be catastrophic at all KA borders especially TN side.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/karn...home-topscroll

Yesterday I did Vadodara-Udaipur-Vadodara trip. Had to apply for Lockdown Exemption pass, and due to some confusion regarding validity of pass, I decided to apply for it again and got approval. Note that this exemption pass was applied in Gujarat only. No need to apply for Rajasthan Pass. I called up Rajasthan, Gujarat and Central helplines to confirm the same. In my case, I didnt get date range or travel date. This was primary reason to apply for another pass as my online browsing revealed that exemption pass i valid for 24-36 hours.

Left Vadodara at around 7am. Reaching Gujarat-Rajasthan border was easy thanks to opening up of district borders in Gujarat. On Gujarat-Rajasthan border, I first was asked to stop before entering Rajasthan. My details were noted down and also reason for travel was asked. Soon after entering Rajasthan, there was nobody to guide to stop the car, but few cars were parked and there were make shift stalls along with Police. I stopped there and again my details were noted down along with Adhar card number. Screening was done here. In my case as I planned to come back on same day, no quarantine in Rajasthan for me. When I entered Gujarat, nobody stopped me at Gujarat-Rajasthan border, but a few cars were parked with Police noting things down, I stopped and asked if I need to enter details. After looking at my Exemption pass, I was told by a Policeman that I do not need to register myself.

1. Almost all restaurants on highway are closed. Carry enough food and water, tea, breakfast.
2. Carry original Adhar Card with you, it might be demanded for verification.
3. Traffic is quite less in Rajasthan, but little scope of getting help on highways.
4. Policemen at Toll Booths do ask questions, always have exemption pass handy. Keep one or two photocopies just in case you are asked to submit a copy of exemption pass.

I am planning to travel to another district within KA from Bangalore. I am wondering if it would be OK to start the journey before 7:00 AM.

I don't know about inter-district travel, but I went to the airport in the morning to drop off a relative. I left at around 5:30 in the morning. Nobody stopped me for any checking or anything. There was one check-point after airport toll-booth, but they were only stopping the non-KA vehicles. Hope this helps

Best you refrain from undertaking road travel. Rules are not clear and keep changing frequently. Migrants on the road is another risk, howsoever small it might be. Food outlets, repair shops, bio break places all closed. Take a flight if you hv to travel. Most definitely, not the time for a road trip.

When you take a flight, enjoy 'Chartered Flight' like service. With large scale cancellations, most of the flights are operating near empty. :Frustrati

Actually, as a Doctor, I would think traveling by own car is the safest mode rather than flights because it may not always be possible to maintain social distancing and one tends to come into contact with many persons, some of whom may have already been exposed or even positive.
However as already mentioned, the guidelines keep changing and is different for different states. As such, it would be wiser to wait till things become clearer.

I am planning a trip myself, the first week of June criss crossing multiple states. Have applied for e passes from the source and the destination states. Enquired with hotels en route who have assured that relaxations will be applicable to the hotels post June 1st but will still wait for an official confirmation from the GOI. As some members have already suggested I have stocked up on food and some basic vehicle maintenance kit for the long journey. We have to undergo institutional + home quarantine when we reach the zonal screening centre so its better to understand whats due when the journey’s done.

Reason for my travel, an unavoidable family emergency, you got to do what you got to do. Have already waited out a lot of days and there’s no predicting the Corona situation.