Sick to Death of No-Show Buses

swingking

Is anyone else sick to the teeth of buses who "should" have left a certain stop by a certain time and they leave you waiting an age for the bus.:mad:

The reason we as commuters have to put up with this sh!t is the lack of competition in the bus services. We all in Dublin must travel by Dublin Bus

I can't wait for there to be competition in the bus services. In my opinion, the bus service can be as bad as possible and at the end of the day, people who don't drive have to take Dublin Bus; there is nothing we can do about it

invincibleirish

We all in Dublin must travel by Dublin Bus

and we all in Cork and elsewhere have to put up with bus eireann, Dublin bus' uglier,smelly hairy older sister, shall we all just agree that CIEs companies are just rubbish, and then argue over why they are rubbish e.g. they waste money, they dont get enough money, unions, the government and the like.....one day we'll have a decent public transport system, it'll probably be around the time i get my drivers licence taken off me for losing my sight because i'll be an O.A.P by then

Easy Rider

Tell me about it, if there is a Bus Driver on here for the number 4 Bus that runs from Ballymun to the southside I would love to give them a piece of my mind....

The other day at 8am no bus turned up, although two buses went the opposite way.. towards the last stop before it should turn back around and pick us up from the first stop back into town,....One went past at 8am, I thought fine it will turn around and pick us up.....nope! thought it must be for the 8.20am bus....then another bus went past the opposite direction, thought fine...that is the 8.20 am Bus, it will turn back around....nope...it did not turn up....fed up I went back up the road to get my car and drive into work....walking back I saw two buses waiting up the road....two number 4's, the two buses that went past earlier.....so the drivers knew what the story was.....I decided to go back thinking one of them will be down in a couple of minutes....nope....10 minutes later one of them turned up....with a cup of coffee from the petrol station up the road.....they obviously both stopped off to get coffee with each other and have a chat!

A ****ing joke! Can't wait for private buses, competition....also coming home the other night the drivers decided to make their own bus number up, the 4C, I stopped the bus and asked if they were going to Ballymun, 'no, we are only going to the city' - eh what, since when did the 4c start running at rush hour traffic in the evening??? Their is no such bus.......I just drive to work now....so much for getting people out of their cars...

Also the bus has broken down 4 times in the morning going into town, same driver, tells people to get off that the bus has broken down, then drives off?! Unbelievable...

John R

Easy Rider wrote:

... number 4 Bus...

Next time call the depot, the 4 is run from Harristown: 01 703 1103

It sounds like the 08.00 either left early or didn't show up, the two that passed you were the 08.20 and 08.40.

admiralofthefleet

the service is a total discrace, about 3 years i was threatened with the cops by a fat un-professional inspector who i asked why there was no 42b for over an hour, he started to shout that it wasnt his problem but when i pointed it out to him that it was his job he lost it, totally. after threatening me with the garda for being abusive i asked him to please get the garda but he just walked off, a moment later the bus came around the corner with him on it and as i was getting on he said 'if that cu*t gives you trouble ring the gards' to the driver, i said 'you are the one with the problem, burger king'. i complained to the garage but fcuk all happened.

there is a guy with a beard that drives the 45 that accused me of theft one morning in the rock, all because i didnt know the fare to deansgrange(€1.35) after i paid 95c, again nothing happened after i complained, a good friend of mine who works in donnybrook garage told me that my comliaint would be ignored.

the dublin bus system is a total sham worked by drivers & inspectors that are 99% scum and stuck in the 60's. they arent much better than taxi men but thats another issue.

btw im not saying all drivers are 99% scum but that 99% of drivers are, there are some excellent, professional drivers but there are very few

Dyr

The 4 doesnt show on a regular basis at that hour, the only thing you can do is keep their number on your mobile and ring them demanding to know where it is. It's a waste of time because they'll spin you the usual line that its the roadworks/weather/schools/lack of schools/phase of the moon/everyones fault but theirs etc but its worth letting them know people notice it and they will get hassled over it. Also dont just ring the garage, ring the HQ, your complaints to the garage dont go any further than the guy who answers the phone and they're gonna cover up for their buddies behaviour


As for the breakdown, it could be that the doors had jammed or something, but yeah for new buses those 4's break down an awful lot, theyre an awful design in general

Kingsize

Why is there always a 4 broken down outside the off licence in the centre of ballymun(on the way back to the Garage)????do the bendy buses need to be fed dutch gold???
Why are buses from the airport always either regular buses jam packed with suitcases or buses with loads of baggage racks & no Commuters at all?
How come the snazzy bigger capacity 6 wheeler buses seem to service areas that are already overloaded with transport options (dart /luas /daddy's other car etc) surely the airport routes should be priority for bigger capacity instead of the 46a??
Anyone else here think that Dublin Bus should spend less cash on Sponsoring things & bragging about it 7 just get back to what they are supposed to do?

gazzer

The 38 is another terrible service.

There is meant to be a bus every 10 minutes between 7 and 9 am.. I waited from 8.15 till 9.05 yesterday morning for a bus.

I rang the garage and got the usual... roadwords, N3 was busy etc.

You can not rely on that service at all in the morning.. At least 3 times a week I am waiting more than a half hour for a bus

jester77

ah, the Irish bus service... used to have the same problems when living in Galway! Remember one day waiting to get the bus home from work, first scheduled bus didn't show up, second didn't show up and 10 mins before the third was due a bus arrived. This was after 50 mins of waiting. Quizzed the driver and asked him what time bus he was for that stop. He hadn't a clue and came back with the response "I'm an in between bus". That sentence just sums up the whole bus service. I don't think a timetable means anything to bus drivers and they just drive around as they feel like it, taking breaks and stopping in the middle of the road to talk to their colleagues for upto 10 mins. Anytime I've rang hq about where the bus is I would get a range of excuses, bad traffice, he'll be their in a minute, road works, driver out sick, bus broken down, etc... Really poor service. Here in Germany we have all the same problems with weather, traffic, road works etc, yet the buses somehow magically manage to always arrive and leave on time or within 1 or 2 mins max!

Bluetonic

swingking wrote:

We all in Dublin must travel by Dublin Bus

This is not the case, there are other services such as Urbus.

swingking wrote:

I can't wait for there to be competition in the bus services

Why do you think competition will be so good? Do a little reading and find out what happened to Newcastle in the 1980 and still effects it today, all very well if your living along a route which has potential to generate revenue.

Wishbone Ash

Kingsize wrote:

Why are buses from the airport always either regular buses jam packed with suitcases or buses with loads of baggage racks & no Commuters at all?

I presume it is because the regular bus (e.g. 41,16A, 746) are cheaper than the dedicated Aiport Express buses. Passengers are entitled to use a cheaper bus if they wish.

Easy Rider wrote:

one of them turned up....with a cup of coffee from the petrol station up the road.....they obviously both stopped off to get coffee with each other and have a chat!

They may have ran out of driving hours or they may have been working for 4.5 hours, in which case it would be illegal to continue working without a break.

(The resulting lack of service then would be an operational matter and not the fault of the drivers)

RedPlanet

swingking wrote:

Is anyone else sick to the teeth of buses who "should" have left a certain stop by a certain time and they leave you waiting an age for the bus.:mad:

The reason we as commuters have to put up with this sh!t is the lack of competition in the bus services. We all in Dublin must travel by Dublin Bus

I can't wait for there to be competition in the bus services. In my opinion, the bus service can be as bad as possible and at the end of the day, people who don't drive have to take Dublin Bus; there is nothing we can do about it

What makes you say "competition" would sort it out?
I'd say the problems are mostly due to the bus being stuck in traffic (comprising mostly of private single-occupant vehicles).
"Competition" ain't gonna sort that out.

Metrobest

If we want real competition, the bus market has to be deregulated. If Dublin bus believes that it has the confidence and loyalty of the citizens of Dublin, what would it have to fear from a private operator entering the market?

I think Dublin Bus is afraid.

Afraid that a private operator will run their routes more skilfully and effciently.

Afraid that a private operator will actually be able to run the buses on time with departure times for every stop, despite congestion.

Afraid that a private operator will design proper zonal ticketing systems, allowing you to take two buses in a single trip without being charged twice for the privilege.

Or that a private operator might actually be interested in customer service, might set up a Transport Infoline where you could plan a trip from A to B, or might actually care if the service was underperforming on certain routes.

That's why they don't want competition. And that's exactly why we should get it.

There's even the chance that Dublin Bus could gain the respect of Dubliners if it managed to outperform a private challenger. That's the beauty of competion: the consumer wins.

Wishbone Ash

Metrobest wrote:

If we want real competition, the bus market has to be deregulated. If Dublin bus believes that it has the confidence and loyalty of the citizens of Dublin, what would it have to fear from a private operator entering the market?

I think Dublin Bus is afraid.

Afraid that a private operator will run their routes more skilfully and effciently.

Afraid that a private operator will actually be able to run the buses on time with departure times for every stop, despite congestion.

Afraid that a private operator will design proper zonal ticketing systems, allowing you to take two buses in a single trip without being charged twice for the privilege.

Or that a private operator might actually be interested in customer service, might set up a Transport Infoline where you could plan a trip from A to B, or might actually care if the service was underperforming on certain routes.

That's why they don't want competition. And that's exactly why we should get it.

There's even the chance that Dublin Bus could gain the respect of Dubliners if it managed to outperform a private challenger. That's the beauty of competion: the consumer wins.

A private operator will run things efficiently and smoothly but that will be easy when interested in one route - 46A. I can't see a private operator being interested in, for example, the 44B or the 33B.

Red Alert

i don't think the irish bus market (especially with FF's nod and wink culture) is ready for a privately run bus system. I was in cambridge recently (which is privatised). Same fare structures, same buses (Volvo and Dennis), we passed by a broken down bus and the driver stopped to have a social chat.... Wasn't exactly what some people here would have you believe.

I happen to think that over 90% of dublin's bus drivers do a great job. They competently, safely and professionally drive their bus, according to the schedule and instructions received from control. It's not their fault if high up corporate management have the wrong idea of what running a bus company involves.

markpb

Metrobest wrote:

If we want real competition, the bus market has to be deregulated. If Dublin bus believes that it has the confidence and loyalty of the citizens of Dublin, what would it have to fear from a private operator entering the market? [...] There's even the chance that Dublin Bus could gain the respect of Dubliners if it managed to outperform a private challenger. That's the beauty of competion: the consumer wins.

Normally I agree with what you say here but sometimes you plain ignore the facts so much that reality escapes you :-)

Private operators will not change the fare structure because DoT will set it for them, just as they do for DB.

Private operators will not run more reliable services than DB because they have to fight the same congestion DB do. I know you said buses in Sydney manage it but I find it hard to believe that buses there can magically move through stopped traffic or go through red lights at junctions. Private operators will have to fight DCC, FCC et al for more bus priority measures, just like DB do.

No private operator is going to set up a route information line (which is a great idea!) and give out information about other (competitors) routes. Even if they did, it'd be farcical because its not their job. DTA should be doing that.

Is privatisation bad - nope, absolutely not if its done well. Will it solve all of Dublins problems? I very much doubt it.

lil-buttons

What ru dillusional..?

Alot of bus drivers have no common sense about health safety and the welfare of the passangers on the bus. They cram the buses they take corners like a rally driver ..sometimes I wonder if the bus is gona topple.. alot are very ignorant to all people. And i mean of all races.

The worst ones are the grumpy old men who think they own the bus they are driving, they seem to forget their place and their job is to provide a service - and in this day and age a service with certain standards..

I cant even tell u how many times ive nearly crapped my pants from seeing the bus driver drive out in front of cars and nearly knock people down they almost think its their right to do so cos they are drivin a bus!!!


Also I get a private run bus from Blanch to Swords which is nearly always on time and they are very effecient - however they do charge €30 for a weekly ticket but sometimes I think for that effeciency and dependency its worth it!!

The Swordsman

John R wrote:

Next time call the depot, the 4 is run from Harristown: 01 703 1103

It sounds like the 08.00 either left early or didn't show up, the two that passed you were the 08.20 and 08.40.

That's another thing that annoys me about Dublin Bus - Why do you need to know the Depot before you make a complaint? There should be one number for all customer service issues

mickoneill30

If privatisation was introduced would the private companied be forced to work the unprofitible routes / times or would they just leave those to Dublin Bus? If they weren't I don't see how privatisation would improve anything at all.
The profitible busy routes would get more private buses. Those routes are probably subsidising the unprofitable routes for Dublin Bus at the moment so the routes that bring in less money would probably suffer more.

markpb

lil-buttons wrote:

Alot of bus drivers have no common sense about health safety and the welfare of the passangers on the bus. They cram the buses they take corners like a rally driver ..sometimes I wonder if the bus is gona topple.. alot are very ignorant to all people. And i mean of all races.

If it was the opposite way round and the drivers were loading exactly the quoted number of people and driving sedately round the city, would you be happy then?

mickoneill30 wrote:

The profitible busy routes would get more private buses. Those routes are probably subsidising the unprofitable routes for Dublin Bus at the moment so the routes that bring in less money would probably suffer more.

My understanding is that DoT or DTA agrees to pay a certain price to the operators of each route, with the price depending on the loading, time taken, social service etc. If the operator works efficiently, they make lots of money. If they don't, they make very little. This encourages them to only tender for the routes where they can make the most money, ie high density routes with decent QBCs.

In theory it wouldn't affect DB at all because they'd still get the tendered subsidy for their other routes but who knows. Also without a good regulator and a helluva lot of monitoring, there's a possibility for operators to cut corners and fall below the advertised service.

Wishbone Ash

lil-buttons wrote:

They cram the buses

They can't win. If a full bus drove past your stop, you would be on here saying that the bus passed you. :rolleyes:

lil-buttons

markpb wrote:

If it was the opposite way round and the drivers were loading exactly the quoted number of people and driving sedately round the city, would you be happy then?

I agree to that but when u see alot of people gettin hurt is it not worth..? And why cant dublin bus recognize the need to increase these buses that become so packed...

My bus service is suppposed to send a bus every 6mins - its more like 26mins - if this service provided what it was supposed to we wouldnt have packed buses..

markpb

lil-buttons wrote:

I agree to that but when u see alot of people gettin hurt is it not worth..?

Do you see people getting hurt? I've seen one person and I've heard of a small number but they were all stair accidents.

And why cant dublin bus recognize the need to increase these buses that become so packed...

The government won't give them any more buses. They've been faffing around for (at least six) years trying to decide how to privatise some routes and, in the process, managed to screw over passengers. They are getting 100 more this year but that's like bandages on nuclear fallout.

My bus service is suppposed to send a bus every 6mins.

Lucky you, mine is every 10-15 at rush hour and every 30 outside

lil-buttons

Trust me im not lucky at all... they are so bad.. u know the usual theres not one for 30-40mins and then three or four come together.. the bus drivers must be afraid to go it alone so much that they have to stay together!

Im investing in car anyways ive spent too much of my life waiting fro buses..

And had for accidents I have seen a few in my lifetime the worst is seeing older people and lil kids being flung about the bus.. Plua I have a bad ankle at the min so being flung about the bus is not my favouritest of hobbies!!

I jus think Dublin Bus need a serious kick in the rear end !

If you were treated like that by any other services operator.. professionally people would be sacked, cautioned or retrained or at least something would be done!
Their standards are slipping big time ! They do need a kick up the rear end!

Champ

Least in Dublin you have the Luas providing some form of an alternative.
Though if i remember right Dublin Bus upped their prices saying the Luas was cutting into their profits?:D

In Limerick we only have Bus Eireann.
For intercity services anything from 8:00 - 14:00 is usually good. 14:00 - 18:00 avoid like the plaque. 19:00 - 23:00 it becomes good again.

National runs are usually very good like the Limerick - Shannon route if a tad bit expensive. I guess they tend to focus service quality on the heavy income routes.

Of course we've had more than our fair share of unoffical strikes for the most pathetic of reasons.
The most recent was a few weeks ago where there was a dispute as the roster was now printed.:rolleyes:

I agree overall that at this stage, competition can't make the situation much worse off. Probably the greatest barrier would be the unions would be up in arms over any attempt to introduce alternatives... still i can dream... giving the finger to striking drivers while ona competitor's bus. Something like "Strike all you want theres other companies willing to fill in and make money while your loosing it, by abusing your monopoly you've brought this on yourselves":)

Raekwon

I think that all bus services in this country are shockingly bad.

For example, I got an Air Coach to the airport awhile back, it was 50 minutes late arriving at the stop. The driver claimed that it was due to heavy traffic (which I can well believe), but on their advertisement it states that their buses come 'Every 15 minutes', which is rubbish. Anyway it took another 45 minutes to get to the airport and when I got there (45 minutes before departure time), I was told that the gate was closed and to purchase a new ticket for the next flight. So that bus trip cost me over €200 :mad:

bullrunner

Dublin bus customer service/complaints line is 01 8734222

you can also email them at info@dublinbus.ie


had a bus driver close a door onto my girlfriend in the past...he didnt even bother to apologise about it...even had the cheek to say that he was doing us a favour by letting us on the bus as he had let us on whilst stopped in traffic (albeit a yard from the bus stop)when i asked him his name he refused to give it to me..so i took his picture and made a complaint about him...apparently (or so they say) he was 'disciplined accordingly'

Wishbone Ash

Raekwon wrote:

I got an Air Coach to the airport awhile back, it was 50 minutes late arriving at the stop. The driver claimed that it was due to heavy traffic (which I can well believe), but on their advertisement it states that their buses come 'Every 15 minutes', which is rubbish.

You neglected to say that the Aircoach website www.aircoach.ie has a disclaimer which states:

"Estimated journey times are provided as a guide only and may change due to traffic conditions"

The 15 minutes intervals refer to the departure times from the airport. They all leave exactly every 15 minutes but on a long circuitous route to Ballsbridge or Leopardstown, it is impossible to ensure that each bus is spaced accordingly on it's return leg of the journey back to the airport.

Raekwon wrote:

Anyway it took another 45 minutes to get to the airport

Are you suggesting that that was the bus driver's fault. It would not be in his interest or in Aircoach's interest to delay anyone getting to the airport.

Raekwon wrote:

I got there (45 minutes before departure time), I was told that the gate was closed and to purchase a new ticket for the next flight. So that bus trip cost me over €200

Your own lack of common sense cost you €200. How was it the fault of the bus trip? Why didn't you leave sooner. If I was going to the airport by bus, I'd make sure to leave at least 3 hours before my flight time.

Wishbone Ash

bullrunner wrote:

had a bus driver close a door onto my girlfriend in the past...

This can easily happen. On some buses, when one presses the front door button it takes about a second for the door to respond. I've accidently done it myself a few times. The doorway is clear, you press the close button and in that slight pause a passengers runs up/jumps on and collides with the closing door. They always presume you have done it on purpose. That does not excuse the rudeness of the driver though. I would always apologise in such a situation.

shltter

Where are the Buses? stuck in Traffic thats where the last two mornings have been particularly bad
A journey that normally takes me 45/50 minutes and is timetabled as 50 minutes took me 1 hour 20 minutes yesterday and today the return journey the other way took 1 hour 25 minutes yesterday and 1 hour 20 minutes today which meant that I arrived at the outer terminus 10 minutes after I should have been leaving the other terminus.

I would love to know how competition would sort that out please explain exactly how that would work.


Also people need to stop and think just because a bus leaves a terminus every 15 minutes does not mean that a bus is going to arrive at any given stop every 15 minutes if there was no traffic that is how it would work but if as I did today you end up sitting on one street for 25 minutes the 15 minute gap is out the window.


On the issue of the 4s the OP mentioned the timetable and the controller decide when the bus leaves any particular terminus NOT the driver. If they are timetabled to leave at a particular time they can not just take it upon themselves to leave if they did there would be complete chaos.
The controller may move the bus up to fill in a gap but that is the controllers decision not the drivers.
Its actually nearly funny but it is only a couple of weeks ago that people were on here complaining about buses being moved up ahead of there official timetabled departure and saying that there is no excuse for buses to be moved up ever.
Now here we are with the complaint about the bus not being moved up as someone has already said you cannot win.
Remember if the controller had moved that bus up by 10 minutes then all the people coming out to catch that bus at the the scheduled departure time would have no bus. A clear case of damned if you do and damned if you dont

shltter

bullrunner wrote:

Dublin bus customer service/complaints line is 01 8734222

you can also email them at info@dublinbus.ie


had a bus driver close a door onto my girlfriend in the past...he didnt even bother to apologise about it...even had the cheek to say that he was doing us a favour by letting us on the bus as he had let us on whilst stopped in traffic (albeit a yard from the bus stop)when i asked him his name he refused to give it to me..so i took his picture and made a complaint about him...apparently (or so they say) he was 'disciplined accordingly'

Once the bus has left the stop he should not let anyone on or off if he let you on he was doing you a favour (he was not doing himself any)
As someone as already explained the doors work on Air and there is a slight delay between when he presses the button and when it actually closes so chances are the driver had started to close the door before you approached.
He does not have to give you his name the driver can be identified from your ticket or from the number of the Bus

Raekwon

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Your own lack of common sense cost you €200. How was it the fault of the bus trip? Why didn't you leave sooner. If I was going to the airport by bus, I'd make sure to leave at least 3 hours before my flight time.

Who are you, the PR man for the bus companies in this country? :rolleyes:

To clarify my point, I was relying on a service that failed to deliver, and this service is 'apparently' one of the most reliable, punctual & efficient bus service that we have to offer.

Answer me this, if Air Coach buses are going to arrive at random times then why do they advertise there punctuality so much? Another example for you. I had to catch a flight to France last month that was leaving at 7am, so I checked the time Air Coach arrival time online and it stated that there would be an Air Coach at my stop at 4:34am. I was at the stop at 4:15am, just to make extra sure that I would catch it but to my surprise the bus was already there and I had to run to try and catch it. Luckily the driver saw me in his rear view mirror and stopped. The next bus would have been at 5:34 (-ish!). Good service or not? You tell me Mr PR?

So you can dissect all the posts on this thread that you want, the fact is that the bus services in this country, compared to many others, is appalling. This is highlighted even more considering the fact that we rely heavy on buses because of the lack of a decent transport infrastructure for a country of our wealth (ie: A metro). But that is a discussion for another day

shltter

Raekwon wrote:

Who are you, the PR man for the bus companies in this country? :rolleyes:

To clarify my point, I was relying on a service that failed to deliver, and this service is 'apparently' one of the most reliable, punctual & efficient bus service that we have to offer.

Answer me this, if Air Coach buses are going to arrive at random times then why do they advertise there punctuality so much? Another example for you. I had to catch a flight to France last month that was leaving at 7am, so I checked the time Air Coach arrival time online and it stated that there would be an Air Coach at my stop at 4:34am. I was at the stop at 4:15am, just to make extra sure that I would catch it but to my surprise the bus was already there and I had to run to try and catch it. Luckily the driver saw me in his rear view mirror and stopped. The next bus would have been at 5:34 (-ish!). Good service or not? You tell me Mr PR?

So you can dissect all the posts on this thread that you want, the fact is that the bus services in this country, compared to many others, is appalling. This is highlighted even more considering the fact that we rely heavy on buses because of the lack of a decent transport infrastructure for a country of our wealth (ie: A metro). But that is a discussion for another day

Well your point proves that public or private makes no difference as to whether a company can keep to its published timetable in this city

BTW in fairness the next bus would have been approx 4.54am Aircoach have a bus leaving the terminus every 20 minutes after 4.30

Now a quick question what is your suggested solution to the appalling services
What within the power of Aircoach or any bus company can they do to avoid their buses being stuck in traffic. I presume you agree that Aircoach are not deliberately getting their buses stuck in traffic just to piss you off.

shltter

lil-buttons wrote:

I agree to that but when u see alot of people gettin hurt is it not worth..? And why cant dublin bus recognize the need to increase these buses that become so packed...

My bus service is suppposed to send a bus every 6mins - its more like 26mins - if this service provided what it was supposed to we wouldnt have packed buses..

How many people have you seen getting hurt

Dublin Bus have recognized the need a long time ago but they were not allowed to increase the size of the fleet so if they wanted to add a bus to your route they would have to take it from someone else's.
Seamus Brennan and his pals in the PDs have ensured that DB have pretty much the same number of buses now as they had nearly ten years ago at a time of rapid expansion in the economy

I garauntee you that there is a bus scheduled to leave every 6 minutes if that is what is advertised but obviously if they are stuck in traffic getting to the terminus then they will not be able to leave it every 6 minutes

jjohnson1984

The 38 is an awful route, to Damastown in the mornings, I used to work up Ballycoolin Industrial estate not all 38's go there and they are supposed to run the following from Hawkins Street:

0600 38A, 0620 38, 0635 38, 0650 38A, 0655 38A, 0700 38, 0710 38A, 0715 38, 0720 38A, 0730 38, 0735 38, 0745 38, 0755 38A

What used to happen was something like this (If we're lucky)
5:50 38, 6:05 38A, 6:25 38, 6:50 38A 7:00 38, 7:10 38A, 7:20 38, 7:40 38A, 8:00 38

38A as you all probbably know is much quicker than the 38, which is very annoying when you need go all round castleknock and Blanch villages which adds an extra 20 mins on as your timetabled bus doesn't turn up. The 4:30 bus to Hawkins in the Evening is also a laugh, if it doesn't turn up which 75% of the time it does not, you can be assured at the time it normally does the exact same bus that has run the route when it has turned up will go past OOS.

And out of interest, it seems that around about the times that one doesn't turn up, a bus heads from Hawkins Street out of service, the very same bus, can later be spotted operating operating the 38/A route from Damastown to Hawkins Street which makes me ask why the hell do they go all the way to Hawkins street OOS then operate the route down back in service, if they're going there anyway.....

It makes you wonder why Dublin bus keep banging on about how many more buses they need, there seems to be more Phibsboro based buses being out of service than in during peak time, with buses heading up to Blanch OOS when surely if they're going to the start of the route it would be more efficent to run them IN service up to Blanch as Phibs is not far from Hawkins Street rather than one 39 who heads in service to Blanch then back out, and one that runs to blanch out then back in?

The biggest laugh, is Harristown garage, who IMHO are dependable, seem to be getting a raw deal when it comes to new buses as the ones they do have seem to be propping up Phibsboroughs routes while Phibs are getting loads!

Wishbone Ash

Raekwon wrote:

Who are you, the PR man for the bus companies in this country? :rolleyes:

No, I'm just someone who understands the operational difficulties of running a bus service. It is not in any bus companies interest to piss off it's customers. Why would they do that? I can't understand how you think a driver would want to be deliberately late. He would not be doing himself any favours.

Raekwon wrote:

I was relying on a service that failed to deliver, and this service is 'apparently' one of the most reliable, punctual & efficient bus service that we have to offer.

I accept that you were relying on a service that failed to deliver. However that failure was hardly likely the fault of the driver or Aircoach. There are many other external factors which affect the operations of any transport company. If you were to get a taxi and it was held up by traffic, roadworks, a puncture etc. would you blame the driver? You would have to pay an increased fare as the meter would continue to tick over and you would still be late. At least with a bus, the same fare would apply.

Raekwon wrote:

Answer me this, if Air Coach buses are going to arrive at random times then why do they advertise there punctuality so much?

The journey begins when the Aircoach leaves the Airport and it ends when it arrives back at the terminal. Probably 99% buses leave on time (i.e. every 15mins or every hour if applicable). I don't know which stop you boarded the bus. It was probably on the return leg. By that stage the bus would have completed more than 50% of it's journey. That doesn't mean it didn't leave on time. Many other factors beyond the drivers control could have contributed to it's delay.

=Raekwon]I checked the time Air Coach arrival time online and it stated that there would be an Air Coach at my stop at 4:34am. I was at the stop at 4:15am, just to make extra sure that I would catch it but to my surprise the bus was already there and I had to run to try and catch it.

These times are guidelines only. That is stated on their website. All buses are fitted with a tracking system. You can view their progress online if you wish. If a driver deliberately delayed his route the controller would know and seek an explanation.

Raekwon wrote:

So you can dissect all the posts on this thread that you want, the fact is that the bus services in this country, compared to many others, is appalling.

It would be unfair to compare the public transport system here with other countries without factoring in all the restrictions which inhibit the development of a decent service here not least our infrastructure and dithering Government.

Raekwon wrote:

This is highlighted even more considering the fact that we rely heavy on buses because of the lack of a decent transport infrastructure for a country of our wealth (ie: A metro).

Agree totally.

gazzer

Following on from my email the other day about the attrocious 38/A service... I left the house at 8.15 this morning to be into town for 9.30am. Bus didnt arrive till 9.05am. Didnt get into work till 9.55am. There should have been 5 buses come and gone from my stop in that time.

I noticed a lot of official looking people on the Navan Road on the way into work making notes when the buses went by.. maybe they are timing them.

Wishbone Ash

gazzer wrote:

Following on from my email the other day about the attrocious 38/A service... I left the house at 8.15 this morning to be into town for 9.30am. Bus didnt arrive till 9.05am. Didnt get into work till 9.55am. There should have been 5 buses come and gone from my stop in that time.

Telphone Phibsboro District Garage (7033462) and let them know. The timetable may require redrafting. If no one complains, they may think that operational changes, that they have made, are working well.

Raekwon

shltter wrote:

Well your point proves that public or private makes no difference as to whether a company can keep to its published timetable in this city

BTW in fairness the next bus would have been approx 4.54am Aircoach have a bus leaving the terminus every 20 minutes after 4.30

Now a quick question what is your suggested solution to the appalling services
What within the power of Aircoach or any bus company can they do to avoid their buses being stuck in traffic. I presume you agree that Aircoach are not deliberately getting their buses stuck in traffic just to piss you off.

Regardless of the fact that it is public or private, my point is that transport services in this country need to be drastically improved overall. I only took Air Coach as an example because it is arguably the best bus service in this country (they describe themselves as 'Ireland's Premier Public Transport Company') and, like I said, buses are heavily relied on because of the lack of other adequate transport services.

Also, just to correct you, from 00:30am to 04:30am Air Coach buses come every hour (00:30hrs, 01:30hrs, 02:30hrs, 03:30hrs, 04:30hrs), then from 05:10am to 06:50am they every come every 20 minutes. So infact, I probably really would have been waiting until around 5:30am for the next bus to arrive if I had missed the one at 4:34am (that came at 4:15am)

Some posters might think it is unfair of me to compare Ireland to other countries, but I am merely just trying to highlight the fact that even less economically successful countries have better transport infrastructure/services then we have here. Places like Czech Republic, a place that no doubt conjures up images of crumbling infrastructure from years of communist neglect, yet buses, trains and trams are cheap, clean and reliable! Can we say the same about Dublin?

To answer your question I think we desperately need a *metro system or something similar here. When I was in Stockholm they have a metro at the airport (Arlanda) that goes straight to the heart of the city and into the central station. Systems like this would take so much burden off traffic in our capital city. Obviously Sweden has been an economic success for years but even not such economically successful countries like say, the capital cities of the two new EU states (Romania & Bulgaria). They both have metro systems. Christ even places like Minsk in Belarus have a metro system!

But back to my point, of course I am not blaming drivers for this, that would be extremely unfair, so the blame would obviously have to rest at the feet of the government and Transport Minister, Martin Cullen. What improvements are they going to make? Your guess is as good as mine.

* I realize that the government have been planning a Metro since January 2002, but they need to put out tax payers money where their mouth is, sooner rather then later. See here

gline

The biggest laugh of an excuse you get from a driver is "the traffic was bad, thats why i was 50mins late", wake up...... traffic is always bad, you need to adjust your times so as to be able to make it on time... Taxi drivers use the same excuse, if you know the traffic is going to be bad at a certain time say 5pm-7pm then leave earlier so as to make it on time :rolleyes:

Im glad i drive to work now, evenings used to be a disgrace when getting the bus, regularly waiting 40mins for a 38a when 3 were have supposed to have gone by at that stage

there is no excuse for it tbh, bad management and general "irish" attitude to it, ie: we'll be there when we'll be there. If other countries can run a decent transport service then why cant we? Is there something magically wrong with this country where we cant be on time?
and road works are no excuse as the bus service has pretty much ALWAYS been bad even when there wasnt much road works going on years ago.

I'd say competition might be a good idea, might introduce some better run forgein companies onto the bus lines

Dyr

Wishbone Ash wrote:

They can't win. If a full bus drove past your stop, you would be on here saying that the bus passed you. :rolleyes:

Well no, its only when the bus is half empty and the driver sails past a bus stop because he's built up a nice head of steam and sure why would ye stop so? One little b****x in particular on the 13/A route does this all the time, i once saw him stop about twenty feet before a stop so he could talk to a fellow comrade in shiny blue and then close the doors and sail past the punters who'd been standing at the bus stop waiting for him to get the finger out.

Wishbone Ash

Raekwon wrote:

even less economically successful countries have better transport infrastructure/services then we have here. Places like Czech Republic.....
.....the capital cities of the two new EU states (Romania & Bulgaria). They both have metro systems. Christ even places like Minsk in Belarus have a metro system!

I don't think anyone would disagree with you but in many of these countries, public transport is heavily subsidised by the Government and therefore it would be unfair to make direct comparisons.

Raekwon wrote:

two new EU states (Romania & Bulgaria).

Candidate countries - not EU members yet.

Dyr

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I don't think anyone would disagree with you but in many of these countries, public transport is heavily subsidised by the Government and therefore it would be unfair to make direct comparisons.

Correct me if im wrong but didnt CIE recieve over 500 million in state aid last year? Thats a hefty subsidy in most peoples book

markpb

Bambi wrote:

Correct me if im wrong but didnt CIE recieve over 500 million in state aid last year? Thats a hefty subsidy in most peoples book

Compared to what? My Christmas presets from Santa? Third world nations? Poker players in Texas?

On a per-cusomer basis, DB gets less of a subsidy than its peers and operates in a city which does damn all to help it. Crummy bus lanes, almost no bus priority measures, virtually no willingness to police bus lanes, bus-only roads or even parking at bus stops. And with politicians than get in the way, all the time.

Raekwon

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Candidate countries - not EU members yet.

Oh for the technicalities But they will be EU members in 52 days

shltter

gline wrote:

The biggest laugh of an excuse you get from a driver is "the traffic was bad, thats why i was 50mins late", wake up...... traffic is always bad, you need to adjust your times so as to be able to make it on time... Taxi drivers use the same excuse, if you know the traffic is going to be bad at a certain time say 5pm-7pm then leave earlier so as to make it on time :rolleyes:

Im glad i drive to work now, evenings used to be a disgrace when getting the bus, regularly waiting 40mins for a 38a when 3 were have supposed to have gone by at that stage

there is no excuse for it tbh, bad management and general "irish" attitude to it, ie: we'll be there when we'll be there. If other countries can run a decent transport service then why cant we? Is there something magically wrong with this country where we cant be on time?
and road works are no excuse as the bus service has pretty much ALWAYS been bad even when there wasnt much road works going on years ago.

I'd say competition might be a good idea, might introduce some better run forgein companies onto the bus lines

The biggest laugh is how little you actually thought about what you just typed

The Bus driver should leave earlier to make sure he is there in time that has to be one of the stupidest things I have read here in a long time.
So your solution is that to ensure that he arrives at the terminus on time he should leave the other terminus 50 minutes earlier. But should he also leave your terminus early as well to ensure he makes it to the next one on time.

Or perhaps you are suggesting that the timetable should take into account the worst possible scenario and provide sufficent running time for the longest possible delay. Of course the buses would nearly always be on time but it would be a huge waste of resources for the 300+ days of the year when it would not need any of that time.

jjohnson1984

I think what the guy is saying is on the first workings of a particular duty in a day, so for example, if a drivers first duty of the day is the 6:50 to Blanch, he should ensure he is there for 6:40 by an educated departure time from depot based on how long it normally takes to get there.

Harristown Garage have a good idea where they start letting people on as soon as the bus is ready to turn round, eg if a bus gets to start point 10 mins before due to leave it will start letting people on then and leaving when time is due rather than say a 39 getting to Ongar, waiting 15 minutes until it's due to leave at 6:45 then it takes 10 minutes for 70 people to get on then the bus is 10 mins late already.

Wishbone Ash

Bambi wrote:

Well no, its only when the bus is half empty and the driver sails past a bus stop because he's built up a nice head of steam and sure why would ye stop so? One little b****x in particular on the 13/A route does this all the time, i once saw him stop about twenty feet before a stop so he could talk to a fellow comrade in shiny blue and then close the doors and sail past the punters who'd been standing at the bus stop waiting for him to get the finger out.

Dublin Bus drivers do not operate autonomously. If a drivers passes a stop it is because he has been instructed to do so via radio by a controller. That is a management operational decision, not the driver's but like in many occupations, the front line staff have to take the flak from these decisions. If you have a problem with a particular service, you should bring it to the attention of the Summerhill Garage Manager concerned. Insulting a driver who is doing what he is instructed is hardly constructive!

steve-o

In a lot of cities abroad, the buses regularly do exactly that when a convoy has formed on the same route. The lead bus switches to "express", and skips a load of stops, and the bus behind picks up the passengers at the stops that were skipped. The difference is that the driver changes the destination display to "Express" or "Out of Service" so that punters waiting at the stops actually know what's going on. If the lead bus wants to really get ahead, before it switches to express the driver will instruct any passengers planning to get off at the skipped stops to change to the bus behind so he doesn't even need to stop to let people off.

Wishbone Ash

steve-o wrote:

In a lot of cities abroad, the buses regularly do exactly that when a convoy has formed on the same route. The lead bus switches to "express", and skips a load of stops, and the bus behind picks up the passengers at the stops that were skipped. The difference is that the driver changes the destination display to "Express" or "Out of Service" so that punters waiting at the stops actually know what's going on. If the lead bus wants to really get ahead, before it switches to express the driver will instruct any passengers planning to get off at the skipped stops to change to the bus behind so he doesn't even need to stop to let people off.

The controllers in DB often instruct the drivers to display "out of service" when they want to alter a particular route.

shltter

jjohnson1984 wrote:

I think what the guy is saying is on the first workings of a particular duty in a day, so for example, if a drivers first duty of the day is the 6:50 to Blanch, he should ensure he is there for 6:40 by an educated departure time from depot based on how long it normally takes to get there.

Harristown Garage have a good idea where they start letting people on as soon as the bus is ready to turn round, eg if a bus gets to start point 10 mins before due to leave it will start letting people on then and leaving when time is due rather than say a 39 getting to Ongar, waiting 15 minutes until it's due to leave at 6:45 then it takes 10 minutes for 70 people to get on then the bus is 10 mins late already.

That is not what he said

But anyway

Running times from depot to first stop in the morning are part of the timetable ie Sign on time 6.30 depart garage 6.37 leave first stop 6.50
If there is insufficent time to get to the first stop on time then that is a matter for the company to organise the appropriate ammount of running time.