Bike Shifting in Aluva

Aluva is a town people pass through. The railway junction is a major stop, the metro terminates here, and the airport at Nedumbassery is a short run up the road. A lot of people living in and around Aluva ride a scooter or motorcycle to the metro terminus, park it, and take the train into the city. The bike spends the working day at the station.

That habit can be useful on moving day. If you're busy at home with the household move, or travelling into the city that day, the bike may already be at the station, and collecting it from there can be simpler than bringing it home first.

But a station parking lot has its own rules, and a carrier truck needs to stop near it, so a few things need arranging.

Check the parking rules. Metro and railway parking is usually run by an operator or a contractor, with tickets, passes and fixed hours. Find out whether a vehicle can be taken out by someone other than the person who parked it, what they need to see, and whether a carrier can stop near the exit. Some lots have a staff member at the exit who checks the ticket against the plate.

Leave the ticket or pass with whoever hands over the bike. If it's you, keep it with the key. If you've arranged for a stand in, give them the ticket, the key and a copy of the RC.

Find a loading spot. The crew will wheel the bike a short distance; they just need the truck somewhere safe. The station area is busy, with autos, buses and drop off traffic. A carrier can't stop in the middle of it. Look for a side road or a quieter corner near the parking exit where a truck can pull in, and send us a map pin. The bike is wheeled from the parking to the truck.

Pick the time. Station parking is fullest in the middle of the working day and busiest at the morning and evening peaks. A mid morning or early afternoon slot, after the rush and before the return, gives the crew room.

Check the bike before you leave it there for the last time. A bike that stands in station parking all day picks up dust, bird droppings and the occasional knock from a neighbour's handlebar. Walk round it the evening before the collection and note anything new, so the condition note the next morning is accurate.

If you take the bike home the night before instead, that's fine too. The collection from home is usually simpler, and the station only makes sense if it saves you a trip.

Pay any parking dues. If you have a monthly pass that's ending, return or cancel it, so you aren't charged for a month you won't use.

If you're travelling that day, the bike can be collected after you've left. A stand in with the ticket, key and papers can do the handover and the walk round.

Station pickups in Aluva are carried out by vetted local partners. Before they set off, we have surveyed the lot with you, written down your price and told them which exit and which side road to use.

Our Aluva packers page covers moves timed around trains, flights and the Periyar. This page is about the bike waiting at the metro.

Some station parking has charging points for electric scooters, sometimes with separate rules. If yours is charging there, unplug it before the collection and settle any charges. Share the brand, and say whether the battery detaches, as you book.