The Dublin Bike rip-off?

AlekSmart · 23-02-2014 2:53pm

Capri wrote: »

Really ? Let's see what the usage pattern is there then from Dublin Bikes - I would have thought placing the stand on Merrion St/Fenian st jct between the hotels there and on the route to/from Pearse station would have been more logical and user friendly :rolleyes:

Oh dear Capri.....you obviously are NOT "On-Message" here.......some refocusing work required i'm afraid.....;)

Five Lamps · 23-02-2014 11:47pm

Aren't they all supposed to be 300 metres apart? Putting it at hotels end of Fenian St. wouldn't make sense then as you have a station on Pearse St. and one on Merrion Sq West,

Baron Kurtz · 10-03-2014 11:58am

Do they not work on Mondays? Consistently there have been zero bikes at Portobello, Charlemont, Harcourt and Wilson, by which time I was pretty much at work. Today this scarcity was at roughly 10.30 (ample time to replenish imo) and other Mondays it was empty at 7.30 (unforgiveable really). They other days, maybe not so bad, but fairly unreliable. Can't see why they popped so many up by the Marker hotel/Bord Gais theatre. Only yards from each other. Very unbalanced.

tommythecat · 10-03-2014 2:03pm

Yes. Consistently there are never bikes at Grantham Street in the mornings. Surely this kind of issue can be seen and dealt with with more frequent refresh rates etc.

Baron Kurtz · 12-03-2014 1:34pm

10-11am again. Not a single bike, Portobello x 2, Grantham. The app also stated none at Charlemont (as ever), Harcourt and Wilton. That's 6 stations within a kilometre radius from the nearest to the furthest that there's consistently no bikes. I'm averaging on the times, but who would wait longer than 20-30 minutes? It's like they're hoping a rash of people will return the bikes to these bays rather than actually doing a job and replenishing it themselves. Very half-arsed imo. Very Irish, if you like.

This rankles with me at the minute, which is a change to my relative satisfaction with the scheme in an earlier post, but if it keeps up at this rate I'll have abandoned the scheme in no time.

monument · 12-03-2014 3:38pm

The breaks on all bicycles across the whole system are being changed. That could explain less bicycles than usual?

Or more demand due to the expansion?

The expansion is supposed to include new agreed service levels -- try contacting the city council or councilors to see what the story is.

SHOVELLER · 21-05-2014 11:38pm

As their biggest fan and honestly believing it is possibly one of the best things to happen to the city I cannot get my head around the fact they dont accept debit cards. I thought finally getting rid of my credit card would be a positive aspect!

Then I log on to their website and no phone number (yeah I know its on the card) and no physical address either.

Not good enough.

Aard · 21-05-2014 11:43pm

You need a valid credit card so that they can take the €150 if a bike fails to be returned. Can't do that with a debit card.

Tobyglen · 22-05-2014 12:06am

I was looking at the map and seen their was no bike stands near Connolly station. I may have misread the map but that seems madness.

LEIN · 22-05-2014 6:07am

Tobyglen wrote: »

I was looking at the map and seen their was no bike stands near Connolly station. I may have misread the map but that seems madness.

Talbot Street. 1 minute walk from the front of Connolly.

LEIN · 22-05-2014 6:09am

SHOVELLER wrote: »

As their biggest fan and honestly believing it is possibly one of the best things to happen to the city I cannot get my head around the fact they dont accept debit cards. I thought finally getting rid of my credit card would be a positive aspect!

Then I log on to their website and no phone number (yeah I know its on the card) and no physical address either.

Not good enough.

Aard wrote: »

You need a valid credit card so that they can take the €150 if a bike fails to be returned. Can't do that with a debit card.

Unless the policy has changed recently, I've been using a debit card for the past 2 and a half years.

howiya · 22-05-2014 11:43am

LEIN wrote: »

Unless the policy has changed recently, I've been using a debit card for the past 2 and a half years.

I signed up again last year after being away. I had used a credit card the first time but when i signed up again last year I used a visa debit card

Kumsheen · 22-05-2014 12:03pm

LEIN wrote: »

Talbot Street. 1 minute walk from the front of Connolly.

That one empties out fairly quick in the mornings, there should be a second one over by the station itself, there is plenty of pavement near the luas platform to put one. The Talbot one would then be the backup.

loyatemu · 22-05-2014 2:58pm

Kumsheen wrote: »

That one empties out fairly quick in the mornings, there should be a second one over by the station itself, there is plenty of pavement near the luas platform to put one. The Talbot one would then be the backup.

there's one going in at George's Dock as well. A station at Connolly would empty out very quickly each morning.

AndrewJD · 22-05-2014 3:44pm

Any idea why the station construction takes so long? The stations in and around Heuston were started nearly a month ago and have been almost-complete for almost as long. No work for weeks. Are the bikes not ready yet?

howiya · 22-05-2014 3:57pm

Not the biggest lie ever told in an election campaign but I saw a labour poster today with the topic "Labour is working".

Among the achievements labour are laying claim to is "Free Urban Bikes". I assume they're referring to the Dublin Bike scheme.

Lets hope no-one in Labour gets the finance position in the reshuffle

ArmaniJeanss · 22-05-2014 4:36pm

howiya wrote: »

Not the biggest lie ever told in an election campaign but I saw a labour poster today with the topic "Labour is working".

Among the achievements labour are laying claim to is "Free Urban Bikes". I assume they're referring to the Dublin Bike scheme.

Lets hope no-one in Labour gets the finance position in the reshuffle

Obviously not 'free' as such with the €20pa cost, but in fairness Labour Councillor Andrew Montague was absolutely full square behind this project from the start, even when it was fashionable to deride it.

If he was in my ward I'd definitely be giving him a high preference, presuming he needs every transfer he can get with Labour in the doldrums.

what_traffic · 22-05-2014 6:12pm

howiya wrote: »

Not the biggest lie ever told in an election campaign but I saw a labour poster today with the topic "Labour is working".

Among the achievements labour are laying claim to is "Free Urban Bikes". I assume they're referring to the Dublin Bike scheme.

Lets hope no-one in Labour gets the finance position in the reshuffle

Don't forget the regions.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/galway-limerick-cork-to-get-own-dublin-bikes-by-autumn-1.1798885

Minister for Public Transport is Alan Kelly(Labour).
Timing before the election is suspect but only for the Dublin Bike scheme been so successful - fat chance Galway, Cork or Limerick would now have got a similar scheme.
ArmaniJeanss is correct - Andrew Montague was one of the main drivers of the scheme in Dublin.

monument · 22-05-2014 9:19pm

SHOVELLER wrote: »

As their biggest fan and honestly believing it is possibly one of the best things to happen to the city I cannot get my head around the fact they dont accept debit cards. I thought finally getting rid of my credit card would be a positive aspect!

Then I log on to their website and no phone number (yeah I know its on the card) and no physical address either.

Not good enough.

They accept direct debit sign ups -- it's on their website, if not a little hard to find.

AndrewJD wrote: »

Any idea why the station construction takes so long? The stations in and around Heuston were started nearly a month ago and have been almost-complete for almost as long. No work for weeks. Are the bikes not ready yet?

Different crews do different things and enabling stations is likely more specialised work. Stations closer to the active system will also be done first as the system works best for users when there's nearby stations within short walking distance, ~300m.

Heuston is a fairly special case -- if they want to limit the amount of major teething issues they have at the start they'll might be best to open as many of the Heuston and nearby stations at the one time.

The bikes are all in Dublin already apparently.

Carawaystick · 23-05-2014 1:02am

LEIN wrote: »

Talbot Street. 1 minute walk from the front of Connolly.

It's only one minute walk if the 3 minute wait to cross Amiens st doesn't apply,
And then there's the 5 minute walk from p7 to the front of Connolly station...

LEIN · 23-05-2014 7:08am

Carawaystick wrote: »

It's only one minute walk if the 3 minute wait to cross Amiens st doesn't apply,
And then there's the 5 minute walk from p7 to the front of Connolly station...

lol, Amiens st lights can be painful, especially going towards the station if you're rushing for a train.

The walk from the platforms can take a few minutes but that's why I said from the front of Connolly station.

I'm coming from Greystones most mornings and I get off at Tara Street and use the custom house bikes. Less than a minute from the station platform and always has a bike.

loyatemu · 23-05-2014 9:41am

there's a station very close to Pearse as well (outside the Pearse St entrance to Trinity).

Carawaystick · 23-05-2014 12:50pm

loyatemu wrote: »

there's a station very close to Pearse as well (outside the Pearse St entrance to Trinity).

and one very close* to Tara station on Townsend st, near the Irish Times.

*Depending on the time of day, sometimes it's just close to Tara...

The Dublin Bike rip-off?

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