Autorickshaws : The minimum charge will be
Rs 10/- upto a distance of 1.5 kms beyond which the rate per
running kilometer will be Rs 4.50 or 18 paise for every 1/25th
part of a kilometer, whichever is applicable. If the travel
is between 11 pm and 5 am, an additional 50% of the charge
shall be levied. No tip is expected by the drivers. Point-to-point
pre-paid autorickshaw services from Ernakulam Junction and
Ernakulam Town railway stations, and from the Kaloor bus stand
are also available to select destinations. Complaints, if
any, against autorickshaws can be lodged on Tel: 2394964.
Tourist Cabs :
Tourist cabs, charge Rs 6.50 per kilometer. Normally one has
to pay both the up and down fare. Though the above charge
does exist, taxis are unmetered and thus fares must be negotiated
beforehand. 1 hour trips will incur a charge of Rs 80/-. Cars
can also be hired from car rent companies. At the international
airport, prepaid taxi booths are available upon exit from
the Arrival Hall. (Tel: 2610115, Extn 2107 Domestic terminal;
Extn 2242 International terminal).
Private City Buses : The
most common and economical mode of transport, these buses
are very crowded during the peak hours and in this case the
passenger should beware of pickpockets. Minimum fare is Rs
3/-.
State Transport Buses :
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (Tel: 2372033)
operates shuttle, long-distance, and interstate express and
super fast services from the KSRTC bus station. Also available
from here are interstate services of the Karnataka (Tel: 2360229)
and Tamil Nadu (Tel: 2372616) State Transport Corporations.
State transport shuttle services are also available from the
main boat jetty. Cochin is well connected by national highways
with the rest of the country. These are NH 17 (Ernakulam-Mumbai),
NH 47 (Kanyakumari-Salem), and NH 49 (Cochin - Madurai).
Long-distance Private Buses
: Long-distance private buses are available
from and near the stand at Kaloor, from High Court Junction,
Foreshore Road, and Ernakulam South. Interstate services are
also run by luxury coach operators.
Boats : Services
of the State Water Transport Authority (Tel: 2360215) from
the main jetty at Park Avenue are available to Vypin, Fort
Cochin, and Mattancherry. The Kerala Shipping & Inland
Navigation Corporation's (KSINC, Tel: 2368646) services are
available from the high court jetty to Fort Cochin. KSINC
also operates services from Vypin to W/Island via Fort Cochin.
Trains : Cochin
is well connected by rail to various parts of the country
by the Indian Railways, the largest railway system in Asia.
Ernakulam is a major railhead of Southern Railways. Trains
are accessible from Ernakulam Junction (Reservation Enquiry:
132; Timings: 8 am to 8 pm, Sundays till 2 pm) and Ernakulam
Town railway stations.
Airplanes : Cochin
International Airport is, located 25 kms northeast of the
city at Nedumbassery. International destinations include Bahrain,
Bandar Abbas, Colombo, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait,
Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, Singapore, and Tehran. International
flights are operated by Air Arabia, Air-India, Emirates, Gulf
Air, Indian, Kuwait Airways, Mahan Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways,
Saudia, Silkair, and Srilankan Airlines. Domestic flight services
are operated by Air-India, Air Deccan, Air Sahara, Go Air,
Indian, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, and Paramount Airways.
Air-India and Indian are the national carriers.
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