Dublin Bus Network Review

Dyr

lxflyer wrote: »

Anytime I've rung a garage, I've asked to be (and they have) transferred me to the appropriate controller in the central control centre.

That number is not a publicly available one.

is it 0170348** or such? Cos I've been given that and a few other similar ones by the garage and told to ring 'em meself

LXFlyer

I've no idea! I've only ever got through via a garage.

LXFlyer

haulier wrote: »

DEP D/L ---BRAY STN DEP

---

DEP B/WAL [returning to D/L]



M/F 2020

---

2120

---

2125
SAT 1920 ---- 2035

---

2035
SUN 1000 ---- 1055

---

1100
--- 1045 ---- 1155

---

1155

just a few examples

From personal experience those intermediate timetables do not reflect driver boards in many circumstances. I'd not necessarily take them as gospel - daft I know but not really surprising given the amount of mistakes lately.

As I've said the timetable is not changing so therefore the buses ought to get from end to end ok.

markpb

Bambi wrote: »

is it 0170348** or such? Cos I've been given that and a few other similar ones by the garage and told to ring 'em meself

Harristown told me to ring 703-4721 but that was over a year ago, not sure if it's changed since then.

dublinman1990

The 15 bus is to be provided with a new southside lay by terminus on Ballycullen Road (Hunters Walk) from Sunday the 27th of May.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/General-News/Route-15-Terminus-Change/

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/1531/

AlekSmart

stop wrote: »

Alas for the average punter, the garage numbers are becoming more hidden, with the head office number regularly being placed on timetables in place them.

This is mostly due to the internal integration of Central Control and Customer Service.

The concept is sound,as the Customer Service Operator can immediately input the question to the Route Controllers Console and thereby acces the relevant Route,Duty and Bus details in real time.

It does actually work well,whilst also being automatically monitored as a query/complaint on the system,which does not happen with a Depot enquiry.

LXFlyer

Very true Alek, but what about out-of-hours queries?

AlekSmart

lxflyer wrote: »

Very true Alek, but what about out-of-hours queries?

My understanding is that your call will be noted,but if it is a complaint/comment regarding service etc you will be asked to contact the dedicated line...0900-1700.

I would suggest that a 9 to 5 service is totally inapropriate for a Capital City's Bus Service.....I would consider 0700 to 2200 a somewhat more realistic opening time ?

LXFlyer

I guess my point is Alek that there is no number other than the depot numbers to ring after the customer service line closes. There are times people need to ring and ask if a bus is going to show up if, for example, it vanishes off RTPI.

sean_d

Has anyone else noticed how erratic the 16 service has become? Gone are the days of 16 & 16a tandems...to be replaced by tandems of 16s, sometimes as early as Rathfarnham early in the morning.
Also, getting on in the city centre (heading southwards) has become a bit of a lottery in the evenings, sometimes 2 buses will pass before one with capacity appears, often after up to 30 mins waiting at the bus stop.

bk

Yup, recently had a pretty horrifying experience with the 16 on O'Connell St.

Two 16's arrived, only for both of them to sit there for 15 minutes as literally hundreds of tourists heading for the airport piled on with all their luggage.

The dwell time was truly shocking. Standing room only on both buses and people actually left behind!!

The bus then proceeds to Parnell Square where the driver changes!!!! :mad:

The advantage of the old 16/a was that one of them didn't go to the airport, so at least locals didn't have to deal with all those annoying tourists heading to the airport, but no such luck now.

Losty Dublin

bk wrote: »

Yup, recently had a pretty horrifying experience with the 16 on O'Connell St.

Two 16's arrived, only for both of them to sit there for 15 minutes as literally hundreds of tourists heading for the airport piled on with all their luggage.

How dare they use your bus to go places! Blazing cheek of them!

bk wrote: »

The dwell time was truly shocking. Standing room only on both buses and people actually left behind!!

Of course, the locals board a bus so much quicker than them furriners

bk wrote: »

The bus then proceeds to Parnell Square where the driver changes!!!! :mad:

The advantage of the old 16/a was that one of them didn't go to the airport, so at least locals didn't have to deal with all those annoying tourists heading to the airport, but no such luck now.

Yup. The poor downtrodden locals have it hard

bk

No, that is simply unfair criticism of my comments.

Previously you had two different but very similar routes. The 16a went to the airport while the 16 didn't, but otherwise took a similar route.

So if you saw both a 16 and 16a pull up (or even within a few minutes on the RTPI), you would take a 16 and leave the 16a to the tourists with their big bags and lots of questions and end up getting home far faster on the 16.

Not the case anymore.

KD345

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Of course, the locals board a bus so much quicker than them furriners

The 16 was always quicker to get through town than the 16A, you'd be surprised how much time it can take for tourists to board the bus, especially with luggage.

Losty Dublin

bk wrote: »

No, that is simply unfair criticism of my comments.

Previously you had two different but very similar routes. The 16a went to the airport while the 16 didn't, but otherwise took a similar route.

So if you saw both a 16 and 16a pull up (or even within a few minutes on the RTPI), you would take a 16 and leave the 16a to the tourists with their big bags and lots of questions and end up getting home far faster on the 16.

Not the case anymore.

It isn't, in fairness. While you have a point that somebody with bags who is unsure will take a little longer, it is rather petty to call it "horrifying". The 16/A duplicated each other in the main so it makes sense to merge the two. If you as a local passenger want to avoid the airport traffic, get the 1.

Dub13

Losty Dublin wrote: »

If you as a local passenger want to avoid the airport traffic, get the 1.

Or the 44,11,13,41,41C,33...its not exactly a limited choice.

bk

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It isn't, in fairness. While you have a point that somebody with bags who is unsure will take a little longer, it is rather petty to call it "horrifying". The 16/A duplicated each other in the main so it makes sense to merge the two. If you as a local passenger want to avoid the airport traffic, get the 1.

To be honest, that particular day it really was awful. It took for ever to load the bus. It was seriously slow. Two buses were completely full, which means there was likely a big gap since the previous bus, which indicates bunching issues. It was hot, stuffy and the bus was seriously full, shoulder to shoulder, no room to move. People were even standing on the stairs!!

It was the most full I've ever seen a Dublin Bus.

The 16 is really the first route that they need to introduce consistent dual door operation on and perhaps an off bus ticket machine at the 16 stop on O'Connell St.

The next 1 was over 20 minutes away. I admit by the time we left, it was probably only a few minutes away, but who would have thought it would take so long to board.

bk

Dub13 wrote: »

Or the 44,11,13,41,41C,33...its not exactly a limited choice.

There was no 44, 13 or 1 due within 20 minutes, trust me I would wait for it if there was.

41, etc. are quiet a walk over in Abbey St, they don't share a stop with the 16. You wouldn't think you have to go walk over to Abbey St. with two 16's due in a 3 minute period.

DB stick the 41 out of the way over on Abbey St. as they don't really want the non Swords customers like me using it.

The reality is for people before the airport, the quality of service has decreased.

bk

bk wrote: »

To be honest, that particular day it really was awful. It took for ever to load the bus. It was seriously slow. Two buses were completely full, which means there was likely a big gap since the previous bus, which indicates bunching issues. It was hot, stuffy and the bus was seriously full, shoulder to shoulder, no room to move. People were even standing on the stairs!!

It was the most full I've ever seen a Dublin Bus.

The 16 is really the first route that they need to introduce consistent dual door operation on and perhaps an off bus ticket machine at the 16 stop on O'Connell St.

The next 1 was over 20 minutes away. I admit by the time we left, it was probably only a few minutes away, but who would have thought it would take so long to board.

When I lived in Drumcondra I remembered thinking on several occasions that the 16 could have done with having some VTs allocated to it. The loadings can be unreal.

LXFlyer

The 16 only operated every 20 minutes before the timetable change - the same frequency as the 1. Not sure how that is a disimprovement.

Looks like you just missed a 1.

The evening service post rush hour is definitely less, but it doesn't sound like your experience was at that time of day.

Losty Dublin

bk wrote: »

To be honest, that particular day it really was awful. It took for ever to load the bus. It was seriously slow. Two buses were completely full, which means there was likely a big gap since the previous bus, which indicates bunching issues. It was hot, stuffy and the bus was seriously full, shoulder to shoulder, no room to move. People were even standing on the stairs!!

It was the most full I've ever seen a Dublin Bus.

The 16 is really the first route that they need to introduce consistent dual door operation on and perhaps an off bus ticket machine at the 16 stop on O'Connell St.

The next 1 was over 20 minutes away. I admit by the time we left, it was probably only a few minutes away, but who would have thought it would take so long to board.

The 16 group always has been a busy route numbers wise and more than anything it needs bigger buses and a higher frequency timetable in place. There are some dual door AV and AX buses that appear on the route and the 41's along with extra shelving. Maybe a northside only running board could help as was the case some years ago Those on street ticket machines were trialled once but the street vandals saw them off Pity as they'd make life somewhat handier

AlekSmart

Karsini wrote: »

When I lived in Drumcondra I remembered thinking on several occasions that the 16 could have done with having some VTs allocated to it. The loadings can be unreal.

Great thread diversion this...meat and 2 veg to my thinking !!!!

Very valid points being made,and I can assure you that as a busdriver often cought behind a 16A on O Connell St,the handling of the stage-carriage Airport service has been somewhat remiss for many years now.

All it should require is somebody with a bit of application and interest to delve into the voluminous "Origin & Destination" stats,now available in real time and act accordingly.

As an immediate response,allocate one of the Ticket-Sales Mercedes Minibuses to a central pitch on O Connell St....If the Gardai can now permanently park an oul Transit opposite the GPO then it's fair game for a TSB (Ticket Sales Bus).

Additionally,allocate a Stance Inspector or Customer Service person to continually work-the-queue and ensure them crazy foreigners are ready when the Omnibus arrives.

If anybody really thinks about it,the AW Artics were ideal for the Airport service as the luggage pen could have been contained in the "Trailer",forcing people to move down as they boarded rather than the current arangement whereby they are all congregating around the front (only) door.

Expecting anybody to leave luggage unattended downstairs to travel upstairs is never going to work...unless you make it clear that extra space exists upstairs for soft luggage (cue Lothian Buses Airlink with tables and facing seats upstairs and sloping luggage racks downstairs.....simple but EFFECTIVE).

Allocating VT's could prove problematical,IF the early batch were used (VT1-20).
These vehicles were delivered with a 10% SMALLER door opening coupled with a Heath-Robinson door operating mechanism which would have been more appropriate to pre Industrial Revolution days...:(

The actual Bus Stop needs substantial rework as the company needs to accept that the Stage-Carriage 16 passenger has,at that stage, already made their travel choice and decided against premium fare Airlink/Aircoach/Taxi services.

A far larger Bus Stop headplate,with perhaps,some form of appropriate structure (:eek:) to self-regulate the queue movement...(Edinburgh Airport again comes to mind...;) )

Currently,the think within 59 appears to be that publicising the 16 as an Airport Service will negatively impact upon the 747,which it might,but IMO nowhere near as much as feared.

The two target areas of customer are very different in Focus,which is why one witnesses the piranah antics of the Taxi Fraternity occurring mainly at Aircoach/Airlink stops rather than the 16.....the Taxi folk know their market and are targeting it very effectively indeed.....(As an aside,First Aircoach REALLY do need to buy into the RTPI system ASAP !!!)

It should also be recognised that the Airport business is operating to a somewhat predictable timetable.
It should not be beyond the wit of a suitably enthusiastic individual to liase with the DAA and collate the relevant Airline arrival/departure time-slots and craft the basic 16 route service level to operate to that flow prediction...these Stat's are not State Secrets,so why are we not hammering them into some form of usable shape....

As for the 41,I would suggest routing it along Parnell St to terminate down at the Parnell Centre with the return via Parnell Square West/North/East and the main CC stops in the vicinity of the old 40 group around the Shakespeare Pub..?

This recession is only now starting to impact upon many folks who are now having to study their travel arrangements from an Affordability POV,thus low-cost alternatives such as the 16 are now becoming viable alternatives to a cost-conscious traveller.

The 16 alterations whilst problematic for some,do offer the scope for good solid business expansion and could be improved upon..if the interest is there....

dublinman1990

It has been reported in the latest edition of Buses Magazine (June 2012) that the 80 new buses will arrive in mid to late summer. They will be expected on both the Lucan & Stillorgan QBC. There are known as Volvo buses with Gemini 2 bodywork & B9TL's Chassis.

Another interesting development (or possible rumour) noted in the same article; that there are 44 buses in the DB Fleet going to be withdrawn under ND. However, the 44 buses that are being withdrawn are stated (or rumour) I've read, are to be AV's that were bought in the Year 2000.

Now, I could be entirely wrong in part of this statement. I am not an expert in Transport Management either. I already understood that a total of 67 buses are being tendered for being withdrawn from DB already.

The total of 67 tendered by DB to be sold off are as follows

55 x 99 Reg Volvo Olympians
12 x 99/00 Reg Volvo B6LE's (Single Deck Midi Buses based at Donnybrook)

Than the 44 x 00 Reg Volvo B7TL ALX 400's added on to that as well.

So; that put the total of buses withdrawn from DB at 111.

The Headline figure of the ND Project has a total of 90 buses being withdrawn. An amount of 21 extra buses will be withdrawn under this solution.

111 - 90 = 21 more buses being withdrawn.

If you take away the 44 buses away from the headline figure of 90 buses, you will get this.

90 - 44 = 46 buses? (Believe me I could be wrong here too)

I don't see that as logical IMO.

Any Feedback/Criticism is welcome.

Dub13

Someone suggested putting the bigger buses on the 16,I don't think that would work as I have been on a 16 going around Leonard's corner and its pretty tight as it is now.I can only imagine what it would be like with one of the longer buses.

starviewadams

Are the buses that DB use for the Airlink specifically modified just for that route (like Lothian buses brilliant Edinburgh Airlink buses)or are they just bog standard Dublin Buses with different livery?

Never been on one as I usually get the Flybus out to the Airport and the 41 back into the city.

starviewadams

starviewadams wrote: »

Are the buses that DB use for the Airlink specifically modified just for that route (like Lothian buses brilliant Edinburgh Airlink buses)or are they just bog standard Dublin Buses with different livery?

Never been on one as I usually get the Flybus out to the Airport and the 41 back into the city.

The current fleet are VG class buses with less seating and extra luggage racks.

Conway635

The buses that will be withdrawn this year include a combination of normal fleet replacement (i.e.l 80 older buses replaced by the 80 new buses) and others made spare due to ND.

The Olympians (RVs) tendered for sale will mostly be withdrawn as a result of replacement, though a few more have come off service recently as a result of savings with the 1/3/16/44 programme.

C635.

stop

I am amazed the DB continues to get the basics wrong.

The bus terminus in UCD was closed off two weeks ago, all services now depart from the Xpresso terminus area, two new shelters went in as part of this.

For two weeks the shelters had no timetables on them, finally over the past few days this appeared on one of them:



46a wtf?

Meanwhile there is no timetable for route 17 at either stop, and the timetables (except former 2/3 stop), bus stop/shelter heads are still mounted at the old terminus, UCD have put up signs directing people to the new terminus, but I have seen some people waiting around at the old stops still!

Also, at the new terminus, I saw a group of a newbie American students let a 39a leave the terminus, I asked them were they heading to town, they said they were waiting on the 46a (for "O'Connell"), I explained that it doesn't come into UCD, they gestured to the timetable in a very confused manner. Welcome to Ireland kids.

paddyland

stop wrote: »

I am amazed the DB continues to get the basics wrong.

The bus terminus in UCD was closed off two weeks ago, all services now depart from the Xpresso terminus area, two new shelters went in as part of this.

For two weeks the shelters had no timetables on them, finally over the past few days this appeared on one of them:

46a wtf?

Meanwhile there is no timetable for route 17 at either stop, and the timetables (except former 2/3 stop), bus stop/shelter heads are still mounted at the old terminus, UCD have put up signs directing people to the new terminus, but I have seen some people waiting around at the old stops still!

Also, at the new terminus, I saw a group of a newbie American students let a 39a leave the terminus, I asked them were they heading to town, they said they were waiting on the 46a (for "O'Connell"), I explained that it doesn't come into UCD, they gestured to the timetable in a very confused manner. Welcome to Ireland kids.

Is there a specific individual employed to organise bus stops and travel information, or is it just 'farmed out' to whoever happens to be hanging round the office on a particular afternoon?

Either way, the person responsible is not fit for purpose, and either needs to be retrained, or replaced.

Dublin Bus seems to have a lot of people unfit for purpose, particularly at the top end, which says a lot, because much of the nonsense they go on with is simple basics.

All the modern technology and catch-all slogans mean nothing in the hands of employees who either can't do or simply don't care.

The_Wrecker

It looks like it was intended for the outside stop, another glitche in the Matrix im afraid.
It reminds me of many years ago when we wanted the tree cutter to remove a nasty branch from the Kilpedder sliproad area ~ damn place was felled like the Amazon before they got it!