Road travel from Mumbai to Indore during COVID-19 pendamic!

[Ravi_M]

I need to bring my close relative from Mumbai to Indore. She is past 70 and diabetic.

In the present COVID-19 situation, I have three options, namely arrange to fly by air, go to Mumbai by car and bring her or bring her by taxi from Mumbai (saving my trip).

Bringing her by flight shall involve too many outsiders for wheelcharing her to the plane at either end, but it shall save precious time for her.

I am more inclined for the second option, but for three problems -
1. As I drive through the day to reach Mumbai, where would I stay during the night? The housing societies there prohibit entry of outsiders.
2. The other issue is how can we arrange for toilet breaks while bringing her here , since she would need some clean and decent places along the route for that through the travel of about 10-11 hours.
3. The need to get quarantined after returning for both of us.

Still, this option looks better than the third option as that needs depending on the capability of the taxi driver for the whole day plus the issue of toilet breaks as well.

Can anyone provide the status of restaurants, dhabas, petrol pumps for the toilet breaks and comment on how safe these will be from COVID-19 risk point of view?

Also advise on the issue?

 

[Ravi_M]

No comments / inputs from anyone?


Some update on the plan:
Now, I am getting an overnight stay option at Nasik, to and fro.
With this, my second option (going by car) is modified as below.

Now I can go by car up to Nasik and stay there overnight. Next morning I can start and reach Mumbai before noon and start back with my elderly relative and reach Nasik for the stay that night. This will also ease the issue of using toilet en-route.

Third day we can start early and reach Indore by noon.

I am getting input that Indore to Nasik may take up to 8 hours (from google). My experience has been of 5 hours!
Why can this be so? COVID-19 situation has added hurdles? Check-posts?

I request advice from the knowledgeable and experienced members on this group!

Thanx

 

[adsatinder]

Seems to be some checkposts are there.
Drive carefully and you may reach in 5-6 hours easily as usual.

Petrol Pumps are open evreywhere.
Check Toilets first at some well maintained Petrol Pump, only then take others there.
Clean hands before and after using toilets.
Keep own soap & Water Bottles..

Try to avoid stoppage anywhere other than at Petrol Pumps / Restaurants.

Read this thread also:

Urgent help required to plan the travel in this Pandemic situation with family

 

[Theloststory]

No comments / inputs from anyone?

Don’t know how I missed this one.
I am glad you found an overnight stay option in Nashik. I hope you will get an epass.
Toilet break dying the drive is a huge concern. Stop by any restaurants that look half clean.
There is a nice place after the toll booth when driving from Mumbai to wards Nashik. I think it’s called Garden Cafe or something. They have large spacious loos.

Indore to Nashik is 420 km. It will take around 7-8 hours. In my experience anywhere you drive in the country your average speed turns out to be around 55kmph door to door. This includes loo breaks, refuel breaks, toll booths, the works.

Time and again everyone is suggesting wearing masks and frequently washing hands as the best precaution. Do not touch the taps etc in the washrooms, use your own hand sanitizers. Carry plenty of water with you even to wash your hands. In a public tap after you ar done washing you have to touch the tap again to shut it and there is a chance of infection.

To avoid interactions at toll booths get Fastag. Put at least some 1500 rupees in it. You cannot avoid interaction at the Thane toll booth. I would keep rs 35 change in an envelope. Reduce as much handling of cash as possible. Cash carries a lot of infections.

 

[Ravi_M]

Thanks @adsatinder and @Theloststory for whatever inputs you gave!

The plan kept on changing. As, we were not so sure about getting entry to Nasik city and wanted to return the same evening, we finalized to go halfway from Indore (upto Malegaon) while someone comes halfway from Mumbai. We got e-pass from MP Govt by applying online (very easily, in few minutes), but the other party needed an e-pass for getting out of Mumbai.

As I searched covi19.mhpolice website for online application for e-pass and chose Mumbai for the city, I was taken to Mumbai Police link where they offer only two options - 1. critical medical case, 2.Stranded students, labours, pilgrims. Both didn't apply to my case.

Still I selected the medical case option, where, as I had suspected, a medical condition certificate was needed that wasn't there. The old relative was just fine, only needed evacuation from Mumbai to a safe place. The second option was for stranded people from other states. So I couldn't proceed.

Meanwhile, I looked for those who have travelled to Maharashtra and talked to two persons. One drove from Indore to Solapur with MP e-pass and Maha E-pass for a group of people, but didn't go to Mumbai. His journey was smooth. Obviously, he didn't approach Mumbai Police. The other person travelled with family from Mumbai to Jabalpur by his car. He took e-pass from MP Govt. only and carried medical fitness certificates. They were stopped by police after exiting Mumbai, but only because they carried the luggage on the roof carrier!

So, change of gears for me! We then looked for some transport person with good experience, who can arrange the e-pass. We found one in the same locality, who had good experience of travelling to far distances. He arranged the pass from local administration for some payment and drove the lady the last Saturday to our place. He had the medical certificate, the pass and all papers, but wasn't stopped even once by any police!!

They took toilet breaks at roadside restaurants, but the places were very dirty (as we had feared!). Luckily, all these places were almost deserted, so fear of contamination was minimal. Though, on the following day (Sunday), the driver saw good crowd there while driving back to Mumbai!

I hope these first hand details may come useful to others.

Ravi

 

[Theloststory]

Thanks for the update. It helps. You should have just selected stranded people, I guess.
I am glad your relative is now safely at home.

Just curious, how long did you take from Indore to Nashik?