Dublin Bus - can anyone be happy with the price and service?

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 1:43am #1

I live in near Donnybrook and I go into Dublin (around 15 mins by bus) once a week. I'm sometimes waiting up to half an hour for a bus that charges me 2.80 for the pleasure of a 15 minute journey. Now I know people will say Leap card is cheaper blah blah but still the fact remains is that Dublin Bus offers and appalling service. I live on the main road into the country's capital and it's a struggle getting in and out of town for a return journey costing me over 5 euro!!

We also subsidise Dublin bus in taxes. We're paying too much for a rubbish service.

Edit: I also forgot some of the rudest bus drivers going who act like they're doing you a favour instead of providing a service.

Nib · 15-12-2014 1:45am

Jackeen Forum

>>>>

kneemos · 15-12-2014 1:46am

Doesn't sound a lot to be honest.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 1:47am

I lived in Kenya previously which had a more reliable bus service because it was privatised.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 1:49am

kneemos wrote: »

Doesn't sound a lot to be honest.

15 mins of travel for 2.80 is a bit much considering we all pay taxes to subsidise this company.

Highflyer13 · 15-12-2014 1:50am

No but in Ireland we have a f**king habit of settling for mediocre. People piss and moan and do nothing. Dublin Bus and IR are the scourge of my life. Both of them get away with jacking up their prices every year and in IRs case they have reduced capacity significantly.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 1:53am

Highflyer13 wrote: »

No but in Ireland we have a f**king habit of settling for mediocre. People piss and moan and do nothing. Dublin Bus and IR are the scourge of my life. Both of them get away with jacking up their prices every year and in IRs case they have reduced capacity significantly.

The price of this company that's already funded by the taxpayer has been hiked up again. The bus drivers themselves seem to think they're doing you a favour providing transport. Really really impressive amounts of settling for less on display here.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 1:54am

Nib wrote: »

Jackeen Forum
>>>>

I'd agree that it's a Dublin only issue except for the fact that we're all subsidising it.

Muahahaha · 15-12-2014 2:01am

I live on the 140 route and although it is a reliable and frequent enough route it is rare I use it these days. To get to town and back costs €5.60 which is pretty pricey for the distance. Added to that is that it is 8.5km from my place to town and the 140 takes about 27-30 minutes to get to O'Connell bridge. On a good day I can cycle the 8.5km in 24 minutes, on a bad day where I get caught by a few red lights it will take about 32 minutes. Probably 7 or 8 times out of 10 I'm a few minutes quicker cycling it than I am taking the bus. Because of that and also the fact cycling gives you the convenience of going anywhere in town you want, when you want compared to being stuck to bus schedules I think its a no-brainer to do it the two wheeled way if you live anywhere within inside the m50. For me cycling is quicker and much cheaper than using Dublin Bus, with average bus speeds going so slow due to heavier and heavier traffic and long dwell times at stops I reckon cycling is now easily the quickest way to get from one point in the city to another, especially if your journey is 10k or less.

edit, just read there that in 2009 the average journey speed on Dublin Bus was 16.61km per hour. I'd hazard a guess that most people could go faster than Dublin Bus on a bike

Highflyer13 · 15-12-2014 2:09am

steddyeddy wrote: »

The price of this company that's already funded by the taxpayer has been hiked up again. The bus drivers themselves seem to think they're doing you a favour providing transport. Really really impressive amounts of settling for less on display here.

Probably because everyone thanks them while getting of the bus. Seriously I never got that, its their job, its what they are paid to do.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 2:10am

Highflyer13 wrote: »

Probably because everyone thanks them while getting of the bus. Seriously I never got that, its their job, its what they are paid to do.

I used to think it was a nice thing to do but I've seen people thanking them for turning up late and in foul moods!!

cdebru · 15-12-2014 3:13am

steddyeddy wrote: »

15 mins of travel for 2.80 is a bit much considering we all pay taxes to subsidise this company.

We dont all pay taxes, some dont pay any tax and get to ride the bus for free, well free for them but you pay it for them so really its only €1.40 each really.

braddun · 15-12-2014 3:25am

the walk is only 20 -30 minutes

cdebru · 15-12-2014 3:25am

steddyeddy wrote: »

I lived in Kenya previously which had a more reliable bus service because it was privatised.

I hate to point out this blindingly obvious but

Ireland car ownership per 1000 people = 500
Kenya car ownership per 1000 people = 24

What makes buses reliable in one place and less reliable in another is the vast gulf in private car ownership, lots of cars hold up buses making them less reliable making people get more cars and making buses even more unreliable, but there is a solution, you just reduce GDP to less than $3000 per capita and make your public transport run like clockwork, now all you have to do is set up a political party promising to make people piss poor but have reliable buses, good luck.

Lucena · 15-12-2014 9:24am

steddyeddy wrote: »

I lived in Kenya previously which had a more reliable bus service because it was privatised.

So you were there when it went from public to private? How long did it take to notice an improvement when it was privatised, or was it done gradually over different routes?

corktina · 15-12-2014 10:06am

yeah we're all subsidising it, me included and I get nothing back for that,,,,think yourself lucky that the rest of us chip in to subsidise your journey

cgcsb · 15-12-2014 10:59am

OP you can 'blah blah' all you like, but you should be switching to leap. The problem with frequency/journey times is a result of poor infrastructure and no law enforcement. Bus lanes in the City Centre are used for left turning and as loading areas. We need proper camera enforcement. Unfortunately that issue goes higher than Dublin Bus, the NTA the Gardaí and DCC need to solve this. It is unacceptable that it takes a half hour or more to travel from one side of a nominally compact City Centre to the other.

LXFlyer · 15-12-2014 11:19am

OP when exactly are you ever waiting up to 30 minutes in Donnybrook for an inbound bus?

Why are you still paying cash?

Cash fares are artificially inflated to encourage people to use LEAP, which would make your fare €2.05 each way.

LXFlyer · 15-12-2014 11:22am

Muahahaha wrote: »

I live on the 140 route and although it is a reliable and frequent enough route it is rare I use it these days. To get to town and back costs €5.60 which is pretty pricey for the distance. Added to that is that it is 8.5km from my place to town and the 140 takes about 27-30 minutes to get to O'Connell bridge. On a good day I can cycle the 8.5km in 24 minutes, on a bad day where I get caught by a few red lights it will take about 32 minutes. Probably 7 or 8 times out of 10 I'm a few minutes quicker cycling it than I am taking the bus. Because of that and also the fact cycling gives you the convenience of going anywhere in town you want, when you want compared to being stuck to bus schedules I think its a no-brainer to do it the two wheeled way if you live anywhere within inside the m50. For me cycling is quicker and much cheaper than using Dublin Bus, with average bus speeds going so slow due to heavier and heavier traffic and long dwell times at stops I reckon cycling is now easily the quickest way to get from one point in the city to another, especially if your journey is 10k or less.

edit, just read there that in 2009 the average journey speed on Dublin Bus was 16.61km per hour. I'd hazard a guess that most people could go faster than Dublin Bus on a bike

I will ask the question as to why you are wasting €1.50 unnecessarily by not using a LEAP card?

Alun · 15-12-2014 11:23am

lxflyer wrote: »

OP when exactly are you ever waiting up to 30 minutes in Donnybrook for an inbound bus?

Especially as you could easily walk it in that time.

hfallada · 15-12-2014 11:25am

Well my bus was constantly turning up late and I complained to DB HQ. I got a call back 2 days later to say yes they saw the buses were constantly running late and were sorry.They were going to review it next month when the traffic is back to normal in Dublin. If this 5 years ago DB would havent taken any responsibility.

I hate the fact DB is such a rip off to students. It has to be the most expensive student travel in the Europe. Places like Munich charge their students about the third of the adult price for ticket. Where as in Dublin, a student ticket is 25% more expensive than a tax saver ticket. Which makes no sense at all. That someone in a high paid job, pays less for a bus ticket. The free travel has to go. Its sustainable in the long run. With Ireland aging population, we cant afford to have a population of 30% OAPs using buses for free, while DB gets a chicken **** subsidy from the government.

cgcsb · 15-12-2014 11:46am

hfallada wrote: »

Well my bus was constantly turning up late and I complained to DB HQ. I got a call back 2 days later to say yes they saw the buses were constantly running late and were sorry.They were going to review it next month when the traffic is back to normal in Dublin. If this 5 years ago DB would havent taken any responsibility.

Again that's an infrastructural issue, the NTA/ Duclin City Council are in charge there. DB can't just drive over the cars.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 12:07pm

cdebru wrote: »

We dont all pay taxes, some dont pay any tax and get to ride the bus for free, well free for them but you pay it for them so really its only €1.40 each really.

Ever hear of VAT?

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 12:11pm

lxflyer wrote: »

OP when exactly are you ever waiting up to 30 minutes in Donnybrook for an inbound bus?

Why are you still paying cash?

Cash fares are artificially inflated to encourage people to use LEAP, which would make your fare €2.05 each way.

I generally walk when I can but I have very little free time. Ah the Leap argument. Cash fares are artificially inflated to help people. I think it's more likely to pay the wages of some of the highest paid bus drivers in Europe.

Dravokivich · 15-12-2014 12:18pm

steddyeddy wrote: »

I lived in Kenya previously which had a more reliable bus service because it was privatised.

Privatisation isn't a magic wand and as far as I'm aware, have heard it has resulted in costing the taxpayer more in some circumstances in England.

steddyeddy wrote: »

I generally walk when I can but I have very little free time. Ah the Leap argument. Cash fares are artificially inflated to help people. I think it's more likely to pay the wages of some of the highest paid bus drivers in Europe.

Ah, so you are here purely for a rant then, the average wage paid out by Dublin Bus, is not a reflection of what their drivers get paid.

Lucena · 15-12-2014 12:21pm

steddyeddy wrote: »

Cash fares are artificially inflated to help people.

Which people? How?

steddyeddy wrote: »

I think it's more likely to pay the wages of some of the highest paid bus drivers in Europe.

How much does a Dublin Bus driver earn?

LXFlyer · 15-12-2014 12:21pm

steddyeddy wrote: »

I generally walk when I can but I have very little free time. Ah the Leap argument. Cash fares are artificially inflated to help people. I think it's more likely to pay the wages of some of the highest paid bus drivers in Europe.

Well no one is forced to use cash. If you choose to do that, and waste your own money unnecessarily, then that's your own stupidity. There are cheaper alternatives.

You still didn't answer the question, the premise of which started your whole argument.

When is there ever a 30 minute gap in service at Donnybrook?

Ardeehey · 15-12-2014 12:26pm

I think Dublin Bus generally provide a good service, ok some buses can be irregular but I have never waited in Donnybrook for a bus into town for 30 minutes in my life. There are about 5 different routes through Donnybrook, during the week buses like the 46a is every 6-8 minutes on average! Cost wise I find it inline with the transport costs of other capital cities, get a LEAP card.

Lucena · 15-12-2014 12:27pm

Dravokivich wrote: »

Privatisation isn't a magic wand and as far as I'm aware, have heard it has resulted in costing the taxpayer more in some circumstances in England.

I lived in England for a couple of years around 2000, where I lived the trains were very bad for punctuality. The commuter line I used had trains every 20 minutes, but sometimes one just wouldn't turn up, and there was rarely an announcement of the cancellation. I ended up getting the earlier train to make sure I wasn't late for work.

Ok, anecdote is not the singular of data, but it's worth pointing out that privatisation does not necessarily automatically bring about better services. Especially given the fact that once the concession goes to a private operator, they generally have a monopoly on that line, so no competition there.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 12:30pm

To be honest I'm amazed at the "we deserve it" attitude in Ireland. No one person I work with thinks Dublin bus is doing a good job. Outside of factors like infrastructure there are massive problems with Dublin bus. I work with a lot of non nationals many of who lm say that this is the worst bus service they have encountered. The general consensus is that the bus drivers seem to think they are doing you a favour by transporting you from A to B.

steddyeddy · 15-12-2014 12:31pm

lxflyer wrote: »

Well no one is forced to use cash. If you choose to do that, and waste your own money unnecessarily, then that's your own stupidity. There are cheaper alternatives.

You still didn't answer the question, the premise of which started your whole argument.

When is there ever a 30 minute gap in service at Donnybrook?

The last few weeks there have been times on Saturday, generally around 3 when I was waiting 18-30 mins for a bus.

Dublin Bus - can anyone be happy with the price and service?

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