Team-BHP - All Roads to Kerala

Quote:

Originally Posted by deerhunter (Post 4129964)

SNR used to make the best banana chips.

Tchach. Chandappan & Cochin Bakery, FTW!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranjitp1 (Post 4130060)

Very true!And the buses would have NH written on the boards prominently.

This was true for the buses from Calicut too - the ones running on the NH 17 towards Kannur and Kottakkal had higher prestige and choice of location, especially within the two bus stands and major junctions (Ramanattukara, Nadakkavu etc.).

The other two major roads out of Calicut hadn't been elevated to national highways then (Wayanad Road and Malappuram/Manjeri Road).

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 4130112)

Tchach. Chandappan & Cochin Bakery, FTW!

This was true for the buses from Calicut too - the ones running on the NH 17 towards Kannur and Kottakkal had higher prestige and choice of location, especially within the two bus stands and major junctions (Ramanattukara, Nadakkavu etc.).

The other two major roads out of Calicut hadn't been elevated to national highways then (Wayanad Road and Malappuram/Manjeri Road).

lol: I guess that is why SNR is still "ththe" place lol: there is no reason to be confused there,its just them and the taste.

For the uninitiated this is Chandappan at Kozhikode,http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/15/s...1500450200.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by NPV (Post 4130061)

So does this mean, if one wishes to take the Kollengode route from Alathur, going inside Alathur and then taking the underpass at "3" is the only way ? If one takes "1" or "2", the flyover would go above "3" and no way to turn towards Kollengode ?

Service road starts after 2. So you can enter the NH at 1 and join the service road at 2. Service road will take you to 3, from where you can take a right to go to Kollengode/Nemmara/Chittur.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 4130112)

Tchach. Chandappan & Cochin Bakery, FTW!

I have been to Cochin Bakery, but not to Chandappan? Is it good?

I usually buy halwas from Malabar Halwa stores when I am in Calicut. Found them to be really nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NPV (Post 4113431)

Couple of weeks ago I traveled to Palakkad and there were cops in plainclothes stopping all vehicles on the TN side just before entering Kerala state side before Walayar. They had flashlights and did a quick 'search' with the lights. I wasn't sure what it was for, this was around 8pm.

Even I encountered this on 19 Dec but then waived me off seeing my daughter sleeping at rear.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranjitp1 (Post 4130115)

For the uninitiated this is Chandappan at Kozhikode

Do they fair better than Cochin Bakery / Malabar Halwa Store. Karutha Halwa is a must try at Malabar Halwa store

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAPVEN (Post 4130008)

Any names of those rivals in Vadakkencherry ? Is ARK HOT Chips one of them ? :)

In my opinion Apple is better than ARK but have heard different opinion within our circle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranjitp1 (Post 4130060)

Very true!And the buses would have NH written on the boards prominently.
The NTPs (Nallappa Transports)KK Menons, Kandaths in Palakkad District and the Mayas,Karippals,Rajeevs in the Thrissur-Wadakancheri-Shoranur sectors lol:

You missed Mayilvahanam though they are dominant in Guruvayoor ~ Palakkad stretch.
Kandath and Karippal is still on service , have spotted few recently.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gadadhar (Post 4124899)

Got a whatzapp forward video of Paliyekkara (Thrissur NH) toll plaza where few people were arguing with the Toll booth officials to let the vehicles pass without paying the toll. It seems as part of the contract, if there are more than 5 vehicles in the queue, they need to allow them to pass for free to avoid a pile-up. I saw the same getting reported in a Malayalam News channel yesterday (they didn't quote the no of vehicles as 5).

Is this true and is this applicable in other toll plazas on the highways? Can someone throw more light in to this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 4124968)

I too had received this WhatsApp forward, and I had looked up some information. Toll collection is governed by the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules which does not provide for free pass-through in case of vehicle pile-up. Further, the NHAI website has samples of the contracts it enters into, with the toll operators - I looked at a couple but neither of them specify this condition. So I am of the opinion it is an unsubstantiated rumour.

In Kerala there is already an anti-toll movement (in fact, the incumbent public works minister couple of days ago lashed out against all toll collection) so the operators I guess are careful not to precipitate any volatile situation due to traffic congestion, that's all.

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Originally Posted by unni246 (Post 4126540)

Yes, the Paliyekkara toll booth is a highly volatile area. Any issues they immediately have people marching towards the booth. So probably to keep all this at bay they open up.
Interestingly this sort of rules and regulations are unheard of for our guys at the Thoppur / Krishnagiri booths. Both see long queues most weekends. I myself for one had a very long wait with a 3km long queue on both my onward and return journeys (upto an hour each at both booths). I assume they never open up for free vehicular movement however bad the situation is :Frustrati

There is a provision for no toll if the queue is long. That guy in the video may infact be right.

Link

See page 3 and 4.

Quote:

The provisions are different for different concession agreements as given below:
-Not more than 6 vehicles in queue in the peak hours; or
-The number of toll lanes or booths shall be such as to ensure the service time of not more than 10 seconds per vehicle at peak hour.

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Originally Posted by binand (Post 4130693)

Does it say "no toll"? It only asks the operator to, in the event of congestion, (a) deploy people with hand-held devices for multiple toll collection points per lane, and (b) propose expansion of toll plazas.

Quote:

The above provision is pretty clear. Depending on the contract, there should not be more than 6 vehicles in the queue or service time of more than 10 seconds per vehicle, during peak hours.

Toll plazas shall be expanded if average time is more than 3 mins. But if it is less than 3 mins, it is in their discretion to build additional lanes or use handheld devices.

But whatever the method they use, the queue should never be more than 6 vehicles or service time more than 10 seconds per vehicle, during peak hours.

All Roads to Kerala-screenshot-145_edited.jpg

The toll booth operators are also supposed to inform the road users about these provisons.

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Originally Posted by deerhunter (Post 4130728)

The above provision is pretty clear. Depending on the contract, there should not be more than 6 vehicles in the queue or service time of more than 10 seconds per vehicle, during peak hours.

Right. All this is present in the concession agreements, and I have seen the toll operators doing these things too (hand-held toll collection, reversing toll booth direction etc.). But allowing vehicles a free pass is not in the contract and the operators are under no compulsion to do that; I have not seen them doing such a thing anywhere yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by binand (Post 4130736)

Their contractual obligations include, depending on the contract:
- No more than 6 vehicles in a lane in queue; or
- Service time of not more than 10 seconds per vehicle, during peak hours.

Their contract necessitates them to prevent the above. Free passage is the extension of the above provision.

The booth operators not sticking to their contracts is a different matter altogether. But legally, they are supposed to stick to the provisions of the contract. No wonder, left most lane of Paliyekkara toll booth is free most of the time. It is because of this provision that they dont argue much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacs (Post 4132354)

Any update on the road conditions of below stretches would be really helpful.

1) Nilambur - Gudalur
2) Masinagudi - Kalhatti - Ooty
3) Ooty - Avalanche
4) Ooty - Pykara - Gudalur

The Jallikattu issue seems to be fine for now, but no first hand information about any protests/incidents on these routes.
On the road conditions, from what I know #2, #3 and #4 are good (Gudalur route was repaired few months ago and is good), but not sure about #1.

The Avalanchee route is easy - Go past the race course and turn near the bus stand. Go up to the dead end (T junction), you will see roads on either side with left going towards Club Mahindra and right towards the palace (Elk Hill?), that continues towards Avalanchee, nice & gradual ghat road, very scenic and not treacherous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacs (Post 4132354)

Hi All,

1) Nilambur - Gudalur

Road surface on Nilambur-Kerala border on the Nadugani ghats (includes most of the ghats) was good when I did this stretch early this month. There is road widening work in full swing between Edvanna and Vazhikkadav. At places where culverts are still not done yet, expect small jams as the road becomes one lane for a few metres. Expect heavy traffic between Nilambur and Vazhikkadav during daytime. Edakkara, Chungathara and Nilambur towns can be bottlenecks.
The Nadugani-Gudalur stretch was very rough and patchy with plenty of potholes starting to develop. There was some repair work starting from the ghat side which now probably would have filled up most potholes. However , I cant be sure. The stretch is still very much drive-able though.