Landing in India

Cochin airport has one important claim to fame: it is totally solar-powered. Everything from traffic control to air-conditioning runs on green energy, generated by the adjacent field of photovoltaic panels.

It might lack the glitzy glamour of Heathrow's mega-terminals, but that's no great loss. The operation runs smoothly and efficiently with a warm welcome and friendly service throughout immigration and customs. 

International arrivals at Cochin airport

There is a quaint touch at the immigration desks as the officers ask you to smile at the souvenir toy elephants that house digital cameras to record your arrival. 

Somehow that seems less offensive than the cold stare of the "Homeland Security" officials at Logan Airport in Boston, who glare it me as they take my fingerprints each time I fly to America to visit my son and my grandchildren. By contrast there is a real warmth to the welcome that greets me when I arrive again in Kerala.

Cochin Metro

Delhi's Metro serves thousands of local commuters

When I travel in Asia, I am always excited by the emphasis local government puts on looking to the future. Transport planning is always a high priority. Would that we could embrace and accept such ideas in Britain. The plan for the M11 motorway was that it should continue northwards from Cambridge, over the Humber Bridge and link up as the prime route from London to Scotland. Today, that just seems pie in the sky!

India has plans for Mass Rapid Transport Systems to create a world-class infrastructure all over the sub-continent. Delhi and Kolkata already have Metro networks and the master plan envisages schemes for 12 cities across the continent.

Work is progressing fast on the Cochin overhead MRTS

The foundation stone for the Cochin system was laid in September 2012, and since then I have been coming to Kerala regularly and have been amazed by the speed of progress.

First several key commuter roads were widened, and then the work started to build an overhead track.

The first service is planned to commence in 2016

Cabs & Rickshaws!

When I first visited India in 1971, almost the only model of car on the road was the Hindustan Ambassador, a locally produced marque based on the British Morris Oxford, and which dominated the market until well into the 80's. It has become something of a classic, and several versions were manufactured until production finally ceased in 2010.

In London, the Vintage Ambassador is the only appropriate transport for a FlowerPower Hippy wedding

Bicycle Rickshaw - now a rare breed

For many years, the bicycle rickshaw was the general means of transport for short distances. In my last trip, earlier this year, I searched in vain for such a classic means of getting around town, but soon realised that the Auto-rickshaw has virtually replaced the man-powered version in Kerala.

The ubiquitous Auto-Rickshaw

The auto-rickshaw is everywhere in Asia. It has won the hearts of thousands of tourists in Thailand, where it is generally known by the onomatopoeic name of a "tuk-tuk"

In India auto-rickshaws are officially licensed to carry a maximum of three people, but you will often see them loaded with entire extended families.




The tariff is always negotiable, but here are the basics, in UK currency:

Per Kilometre   10p

Waiting per 15minutes   10p

Minimum Charge    20p

The next generation of auto-rickshaws has been developed by the industrial giant TATA (who also own Jaguar and Land-Rover in UK.) The 4-wheel Magic Iris  shrewdly targets the "Last Mile Public Transportation" opportunity with a smart and economic vehicle that retails for under £2,500. 
I went in one for the first time yesterday, and can see how this vehicle will succeed in the Indian market. It feels like a proper car, stable and secure, - and there is headroom, which is a real bonus for someone my height. The rate card remains the same, with the minimum charge of 20p.

And now I must think about what I might say on BBC Radio Lincolnshire tomorrow morning, when they have booked me to phone in and talk about Detoxing - Indian Style.

I just hope we can get the audio connection working!