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Nitelink Fare Increase

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    #32
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,560 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    The notice on the website does say (and has done since Friday):
    All other nitelink timetables not listed above remain unchanged.


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    #33
    thomasj
    Registered Users Posts: 4,789 ✭✭✭thomasj


    mydiscworld wrote: »

    Same with 46N

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056860815

    39N goes mostly hourly as well but it also retains the 3.30 service.


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    #34
    LoonyLovegood
    Moderators, Music Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 6,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoonyLovegood


    lxflyer wrote: »
    The notice on the website does say (and has done since Friday):

    They changed it on Friday evening, the original notice just said "Please find details of the revised timetables below".


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    #35
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    CTYIgirl wrote: »
    The part that annoys me about the revised timetables is that there's several that weren't revised, but DB said nothing about those. I was in a state of shock thinking my beloved 70N was gone, and that'd be the end of my nights out. Took me asking via facebook before they'd give me an answer.

    I used live in Littlepace and the times for that used really bug me. More oftenm than not used get the 39N and wlk the rest of the way. 2.00 am and 4.00am just when all late bars and clubs close there was nothing. Glad I don't live there anymore!


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    #36
    howiya
    Registered Users Posts: 3,235 ✭✭✭howiya


    I think they are looking to kill the demand for nightlink by reducing the frequency of services and increasing the price.

    There is a note on the new timetable stating that"Buses may leave more frequently if demand dictates".

    If I miss the 2am bus do Dublin Bus expect me and others to stand out in the cold in the hope that if another x amount of potential passengers crowd around the bus stop that a bus will magically appear?


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    #37
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    howiya wrote: »
    I think they are looking to kill the demand for nightlink by reducing the frequency of services and increasing the price.

    There is a note on the new timetable stating that"Buses may leave more frequently if demand dictates".

    If I miss the 2am bus do Dublin Bus expect me and others to stand out in the cold in the hope that if another x amount of potential passengers crowd around the bus stop that a bus will magically appear?

    A vey sad situation indeed.

    There is,in my opinion,currently enough latent demand for a 24 hr service on at least six BAC Trunk Routes.

    I would suggest that an hourly service Mon-Thurs in each direction would in fact generate new business as well as providing a new element to PSO services.

    Charging a Flat Fare of €2.80 after 23.30 the night services could continue to use the Nitelink Triangle of D'olier/College/Westmoreland Streets to allow for transfers between routes.

    The City Centre is quite well structured for this during Off-Peak (Taxi Drivers permitting)

    I would,however,expect significant opposition from the Taxi fraternity,as they would see this as BAC "Stealing" their business in much the same fashion as they "Steal" business from Aircoach.

    I really do believe that a lobby of the NTA is now required,if only in an attempt to allow Dublin City Centre regain the look and feel of a Capital City Centre after dark.


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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    #38
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,510 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    AlekSmart I agree completely and make so it picks up people heading into town too.

    I'd suggest a trial on the 16 (Airport) route would be a great starting place.

    Well even better an extended 16N route that also went out to Swords.

    And BTW combine this with allowing night clubs to open till 8am like most other European cities, plus late night wine cafe bars. I honestly believe it would go a long way to solving our binge drinking culture and would greatly help the economy of the city.


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    #39
    McSheez
    Registered Users Posts: 96 ✭✭McSheez


    bk wrote: »
    And BTW combine this with allowing night clubs to open till 8am like most other European cities, plus late night wine cafe bars. I honestly believe it would go a long way to solving our binge drinking culture and would greatly help the economy of the city.

    This is probably best left to another thread but do you not think giving people the facility to drink well into the morning would make the problem worse? I can only speak for my friends who are mostly mid twenties but I reckon we'd be moudling up bars for 9 or 10 hours at that rate.

    I do agree with you guys on the 24h service, the fact that a 21st century, European capital city's public transport effectively ends by 12 is a bit of a joke. The 16 would seem like a good place to start, and another going west - east maybe. Don't see why it's never been tried, although going by the nightlink it'd be a fairly unpleasant place to be if it was regular fare.


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    #40
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    AlekSmart wrote: »
    A vey sad situation indeed.

    There is,in my opinion,currently enough latent demand for a 24 hr service on at least six BAC Trunk Routes.

    I would suggest that an hourly service Mon-Thurs in each direction would in fact generate new business as well as providing a new element to PSO services.

    Charging a Flat Fare of €2.80 after 23.30 the night services could continue to use the Nitelink Triangle of D'olier/College/Westmoreland Streets to allow for transfers between routes.

    The City Centre is quite well structured for this during Off-Peak (Taxi Drivers permitting)

    I would,however,expect significant opposition from the Taxi fraternity,as they would see this as BAC "Stealing" their business in much the same fashion as they "Steal" business from Aircoach.

    I really do believe that a lobby of the NTA is now required,if only in an attempt to allow Dublin City Centre regain the look and feel of a Capital City Centre after dark.
    The NTA would rather have Expressway buses pulling off their main route into Dublin to use a fictional and useless "transport Hub" at the Red Cow Luas Stop than sort out real issues with transport in Ireland! Even their journey planner does not include many routes because of minor issues with licencing so it too is useless like most everything done or planned by this Quango!


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    #41
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,510 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    McSheez wrote: »
    This is probably best left to another thread but do you not think giving people the facility to drink well into the morning would make the problem worse? I can only speak for my friends who are mostly mid twenties but I reckon we'd be moudling up bars for 9 or 10 hours at that rate.

    No that isn't my experience anywhere else in Europe.

    I frequently party in other countries in Europe with late night opening. In my experience, people don't even head out until 11 or 12 and then they drink much more slowly and do far more dancing as they know there is no rush.

    Many clubs even have alternative activities like cinemas, coffee areas, food, couches for people to lounge on and chat.

    Also people tend to leave at a more staggered pace, rather then everyone being tossed out on the streets in the same time, ending up with fights outside Macdonalds.

    In my experience, in countries with this set up, I find the night life to be far more pleasant and calm with few if any agro, fights or violently drunk people.

    Sure if it was introduced here initially people would go mad, but pretty quickly people would get tired of it and it would normalise to a more European style drinking/late night culture IMO.

    Isn't it at least worth trying for two years? I don't think it could be much worse then what we currently have.

    Certainly the reduction in off license times has not worked and has had the opposite effect.


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    #42
    McSheez
    Registered Users Posts: 96 ✭✭McSheez


    Too true about the off licenses, that was predicted but of course ignored too. I'm not sure if we're quite the same as other cities but maybe you're right and we would get used to it and adapt and chill out.
    It would be nice to go out at your own pace and of course get home at your own pace and not rely on fecking taxis. (when you can afford it, walked and hour and half home freezing my nuts off last night) If only our tranport wasn't so backwards.


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    #43
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    bk wrote: »
    AlekSmart I agree completely and make so it picks up people heading into town too.

    I'd suggest a trial on the 16 (Airport) route would be a great starting place.

    Well even better an extended 16N route that also went out to Swords.

    And BTW combine this with allowing night clubs to open till 8am like most other European cities, plus late night wine cafe bars. I honestly believe it would go a long way to solving our binge drinking culture and would greatly help the economy of the city.

    Just to clarify bk,that's exactly what I suggest,a FULL 24 hour stage-carriage service,the only off-standard element being the "Flat" fare of €2.80.

    My belief is that revenue lost from the the reduction from €5.70 to €2.80 would be recouped and more by the new business coming from inbound journeys and "ordinary" use.

    It really HAS to be remembered that Nitelink as a concept had a very rapid gestation and birth over 20 years ago as a hasty response to a series of increasingly serious public order incidents in the City Centre.

    It was recognized that the lack of Taxis (at that time) added to no alternative Public Transport being available was a major contributory factor.

    Nitelink was always intended as a means of emptying the relatively small City Centre and getting large numbers out of it rapidly.

    It was excellent at this task,and could still be,however Dublin and it's culture has not remained static,and as a result Nitelink is now somewhat superfluous in its current guise.

    I remain at a loss as to why the NTA,or some enterprising manager in BAC,has not pushed further with the 24 hour service,particularly as most of the HR and IR issues have been agreed on now for some years.


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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    #44
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,145 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    I forgot that the Nitelinks were every hour now (I get the 7N) and just missed the 1am one on Friday night.

    If I'd the money I'd have gotten a taxi (about 20euro) but I didn't so I went a got a burger and walked to Ballsbridge (the 7N picks up there) as I didn't want to hang around on D'Olier Street for 45mins.

    I do wonder how this will play out long term!


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    #45
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    CatFromHue wrote: »
    I forgot that the Nitelinks were every hour now (I get the 7N) and just missed the 1am one on Friday night.

    If I'd the money I'd have gotten a taxi (about 20euro) but I didn't so I went a got a burger and walked to Ballsbridge (the 7N picks up there) as I didn't want to hang around on D'Olier Street for 45mins.

    I do wonder how this will play out long term!

    Welcome to Dublin,a major EU Capital City....:(

    As to how it plays out......not too much to worry about there.

    Extinction :confused:


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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    #46
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,145 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    It did appear that the 2am bus on Friday had about the same amount of people on it as the 1am bus a few weeks ago.


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    #47
    carlmango11
    Registered Users Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭carlmango11


    The nightlink would have massive numbers if the price wasn't outrageous. The only time I'd ever get it is if I'm alone. Otherwise a taxi is worth the extra few euro.

    If they made the price maybe €2 or even €3 euro the numbers would demand, which would increase frequency, which would further increase demand. There's so many people who'd love to get a competitively priced bus sevice rather than taxis.

    In every other EU city there are night buses with daytime prices which people can get on weekends and sometimes weekdays. Dublin has more than enough demand to make this viable and it's insane that Dublin Bus can be so shortsighted. Can they not see the thousands of people getting expensive taxis every night?

    Also I agree with bks post about extending nightclub opening times and providing other activities. I think these silly laws about clubs closing at the same time and alcohol sales having a curfew are ridiculous. Trying to force adults into only drinking when the Government allows doesn't work.


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    #48
    Lifelike
    Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭Lifelike


    The lack of a proper nightbus service has been one of Dublin's big transport problems for years, however unlike the rest of them this can be solved so easily and cheaply. The recent further cutbacks to the nitelink have highlighted this problem once again. It's high time that someone in the NTA steps and sorts out this mess out once and for all, as Dublin Bus have demonstrated over the years that they have no will to even trial a service. It's not even just going out that's at issue here - many people work late shifts, arrive in on late flights etc.
    carlmango11 wrote: »
    The nightlink would have massive numbers if the price wasn't outrageous. The only time I'd ever get it is if I'm alone. Otherwise a taxi is worth the extra few euro.

    If they made the price maybe €2 or even €3 euro the numbers would demand, which would increase frequency, which would further increase demand. There's so many people who'd love to get a competitively priced bus sevice rather than taxis.

    In every other EU city there are night buses with daytime prices which people can get on weekends and sometimes weekdays. Dublin has more than enough demand to make this viable and it's insane that Dublin Bus can be so shortsighted. Can they not see the thousands of people getting expensive taxis every night?

    Also I agree with bks post about extending nightclub opening times and providing other activities. I think these silly laws about clubs closing at the same time and alcohol sales having a curfew are ridiculous. Trying to force adults into only drinking when the Government allows doesn't work.

    They also need to end this nonsense of rambler/monthly tickets not being accepted on the nitelink. Regular tickets are accepted on nightbuses in London and most other European capitals, so why not Dublin? I'm sick of paying an extra €5 for the nitelink on top of my rambler ticket, which I think I pay enough for already.


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    #49
    patrickmooney
    Registered Users Posts: 1,029 ✭✭✭patrickmooney


    I was caught out by these changes. Along with many others we waited for the 1:30am nitelink on Friday. Arrived, but kept the doors closed until 1:50am. Several folk gave up. It was sub-zero temps and westmoreland st was getting messy. Taxi's were doing well. By the time the 2am service took over, my bus only carried about 10 of us as many took cabs.

    Firstly not many know about the time changes. Folk would have turned up for the 2:30 service, not a 2am service. Then with the price increase, it's cheaper to get a taxi with two people and saver then wait around the city.

    It's a mess of a service.


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