Bus Éireann not keeping to timetables

foggy_lad

Last week I was on an on hire bus that was supposed to go express from castledermot to Dublin but the driver picked up passengers in kilcullen and was picking up at all the stops in naas until challenged by me and he argued he was driving a stopping service despite having passed the regular 126service at the post office in naas.

Today the bus eireann driver on the 14.45service seems to have picked up a passenger for naas even though not scheduled to stop there. Why can't this awful company stick to their timetables? Is it just drivers being a bit thick thinking they know more than their bosses or is it some kind of unspoken union work to rule protest?

It is so annoying to get on an express bus and finding out mid journey it is going to be making stops!

UPdate, driver today is not stopping till newlands cross. But so many more are a law onto themselves when it comes to timetables stopping etc.

Transportuser09

Well, if you're really that bothered write to Bus Éireann. Such matters are unlikely to be solved here as time as shown. Personally I'd be more concerned if the driver missed stops.

ILA

Not more ranting from you.

As has been said, it'd be more worrying if drivers weren't stopping at stops. Have a bit of consideration for other commuters rather than thinking of yourself the whole time.

irishgrover

ILA wrote: »

Not more ranting from you.

As has been said, it'd be more worrying if drivers weren't stopping at stops. Have a bit of consideration for other commuters rather than thinking of yourself the whole time.

seriously? if you get on an express bus that is not supposed to stop between A and Z, but stops multiple times in between, and ends up late because of it, is one not entitled to be a bit annoyed about it?
As for considerations for other commuters, if someone is pissed off because a bus that is not supposed to stop, does not stop, then their mental state needs to be examined? ..... "Dear CIE I was waiting in Nass for a bus that was not supposed to stop, and it did not stop, I'm outraged!!!"

Apologies if I've missed the embedded irony smiley....

dowlingm

Hardly unique to the bus - the trains make extra stops too in this manner from time to time. However, in the case of trains if they would be stuck behind another train anyway it doesn't make any odds if they have to stop and wait. Buses don't have that limitation and thus they should either adhere to the schedule or announce to passengers that they will be delayed.

Does BE have a refund system like IE's?

Foggy - in fairness, TU09 is right. The only way this ever might get fixed is if you write to BE with times, bus numbers etc.

AlekSmart

Foggy - in fairness, TU09 is right. The only way this ever might get fixed is if you write to BE with times, bus numbers etc.

I may be wrong Dowlingm,but I think Foggy_Lad has indeed posted before on what he percieves to be indifference on the part of BE to some of his complaints.

It appears that Foggy_Lad has quite a history of experiencing malpractice and skullduggery on the part of Bus Eireann,it`s staff and contractors.

This lack of response has led Foggy_Lad to detail many such issues on Boards,where the response has,unsurprisingly,been mixed.

Part of the issue may be Foggy_Lads habit of providing a mixed bag of complaints on several differing issues,as the latest offering shows,beginning with a complaint re a BE Contractor and progressing seamlessly to an infraction on the part of the BE driver of the 1445.

If this type of complaint is typical of a submission to BE or any other agency then perhaps it`s not surprising that it does not sit at the top of the Urgent pile.

All corporate agencies like a clear,concise,factual complaint with plenty of detail and little opinion..it makes following up so much easier and offers far better hope of a satisfactory response to the complainant.

As an example I would provide this quote...

Why can't this awful company stick to their timetables? Is it just drivers being a bit thick thinking they know more than their bosses or is it some kind of unspoken union work to rule protest?

If a complaint is couched in this type of language then I`d suggest it`s chances of avoiding the Bin are very low indeed,so I`d be suggesting a more relaxed and observant approach with less in tyhe way of stringent language ? :cool:

foggy_lad

it seems to me that all three CIE companies are basically a law onto themselves and operate as such. there are so many complaints from me because the national coach copany is so good at breaking its own conditions and the drivers seem oblivious to the facts of not being allowed by law to use mobiles whilst driving etc or that the timetable is there for them to follow not for them to drive their own route!

on that note i have noticed a variation on the waterford route being used by some drivers from kilcullen on to carlow, the old route came out of kilcullen after stopping there and turned down onto the motorway at the on ramp but many drivers use the new road that was created just off the athy road, it was my understanding that use of this road was temporary while the motorway was being connected up at kilcullen.

is there an official CIE/BE map of all their current routes or are their drivers allowed go anw which way they chose?
again it will most likely be a case of the company having set routes and conditions for divergences from these routes but drivers taking it upon themselves to do their own thing?!

foggy_lad

Again this afternoon an on hire bus was being used for the 2.45 service to Dublin but despite being told by passengers and a bus eireann inspector that he was to go non-stop from castledermot the driver seemed adamant he would stop in naas if he picked up someone for naas!

The bus was clean and looked well maintained but the seats were worn out and offered no support leaving people sitting a few inches lower than designed making sitting in the bus most uncomfortable!

The door didn't open properly and with the ticket machine in the way getting on or off this bus is not easy! the doorway and steps were really too narrow for most people and everyone had to scrape themselves past the ticket machine.

foggy_lad

The express services to Dublin are leaving Drogheda upwards of 30minutes late at peak times so is it not about time the times were examined and timetables changed to reflect real times not what bus eirean dream up in an office?

foggy_lad

I am on the 8pm bus to Carlow atm and the driver has decided to by-pass castledermot because from the hands-free phone conversation he had out to kilcullen he wants to finish early. I only hope there is nobody waiting on this bus in castledermot.

Mycroft H

Go write a civil letter to BE.


There is no point moaning here cos there is nothing we can do.


Maybe its time you invest in a car

mikemac

Your thread reads like a twitter account, contact BE so

foggy_lad wrote: »

the doorway and steps were really too narrow for most people =

A subtle sign to slim down?

patrickc

feelingstressed wrote: »

Your thread reads like a twitter account, contact BE so




A subtle sign to slim down?

lol what i was thinking but afraid to say..

foggy_lad

feelingstressed wrote: »

Your thread reads like a twitter account, contact BE so




A subtle sign to slim down?

lol maybe but it has never been an issue on bus eireann coaches where the doors are a bit wider but those coaches are also not as old as the clapped out busses they hire.

i also have email confirmation from bus eireann that they dont do any real inspections of hired coaches apart from a cursory external viewing, instead leaving it up to the private companies to ensure their busses are up to standard.

Losty Dublin

foggy_lad wrote: »

lol maybe but it has never been an issue on bus eireann coaches where the doors are a bit wider but those coaches are also not as old as the clapped out busses they hire.

I would have guessed that almost all bus doors and gangways are a standard size barring doors that are wheelchair accessible.

foggy_lad wrote: »

i also have email confirmation from bus eireann that they dont do any real inspections of hired coaches apart from a cursory external viewing, instead leaving it up to the private companies to ensure their busses are up to standard.

There is a annual State examination of buses used to public service; is the suggestion here that Bus Eireann should examine the bus a second time? Surely that would be awkward where buses are called up at short notice and wasteful as well; buses get a lot of servicing and tyre changes so any issues are caught soon enough before anything comes to.

foggy_lad

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I would have guessed that almost all bus doors and gangways are a standard size barring doors that are wheelchair accessible.

no they are not, doors on newer busses and coaches are wider to allow easier access for those with disabilities or mobility impairments and those busses usually are also capable of having the front step lowered.

also many of the hired busses have crew seats which also get in the way of passengers getting on and off the busses, proper bus eireann coaches do not have these seats.

There is a annual State examination of buses used to public service; is the suggestion here that Bus Eireann should examine the bus a second time? Surely that would be awkward where buses are called up at short notice and wasteful as well; buses get a lot of servicing and tyre changes so any issues are caught soon enough before anything comes to.

i am assuming you mean the DOE test for commercial busses to ensure they are roadworthy but this does not examine the condition of internal furniture and lighting and airvents/air-conditioning in busses, it may well ensure that all seats have seat belts but it does not mean those seats are in any way comfortable enough for 2-4hour expressway journeys!

i have never said that these busses are not fit to be on the road or that they were not passed as roadworthy but i have said they are not fit for use for long distance and expressway service according to bus eireann's own customer charter and also because they are past their lifespan for such use.

It is our policy to update our fleet on a planned basis.

by using old clapped out busses this statement by bus eireann in their customer charter is meaningless as all these hired busses are part of the bus eireann fleet, they are going backwards not forwards on updating their fleet!

We will ensure that the heating, ventilation and lighting on board our vehicles are working and set to a comfortable level.

they dont check anything on hired busses so how would they know what is working or not?

Buses and coaches will display correct destination information and/or route number at all times.

but the hired drivers do not always keep to the timetables sometimes adding stops which they should be by-passing.

http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=93#safety

in general i find bus eireann to be more efficient and more punctual than irish rail and drivers are generally very professional and any inspectors i have spoken with have been the same bar one.

email recieved from bus eireann re on hire busses when i asked what if any standards were expected of them and how standards were checked

Dear foggy_lad,

I note your comments and have passed your e-mail onto our Supervisory Staff.

All of the Contractors employed by Bus Eireann sign a contract guaranteeing that their coaches are of the highest quality.

The Coaches would be examined on arrival, however time would not allow for a comprehensive check of everything.

Some of the defects would not be apparent unless you were travelling on the coach..

We will be taking the complaint up with the Contractor.

Thank you for bringing the matter to our attention



******* *****
Bus Eireann,
Galway Harbour Enterprise Park

091 *****

so a cursory glance to ensure the bus is at least able to move under its own power and that it has seats and windows of some description is all the inspecting that bus eirean do of these busses

but they do have a guarantee from companies who are desperate for the bus eireann work and may well supply busses not fot for expressway service and nobody in bus eireann is tasked to ensure thay are getting what they are paying for!

Losty Dublin

Did you read what I said at all?

foggy_lad wrote: »

no they are not, doors on newer busses and coaches are wider to allow easier access for those with disabilities or mobility impairments and those busses usually are also capable of having the front step lowered.

also many of the hired busses have crew seats which also get in the way of passengers getting on and off the busses, proper bus eireann coaches do not have these seats.

I said that door sizes are usually standard except for those fitted for mobility impaired/wheelchair passengers.

I don't know if a Bus Eireann bus has a crew seat fitted but they don't get in the way of a passenger as they are well tucked in. If you are clumsy and hit into it it's you're look out

foggy_lad wrote: »

i am assuming you mean the DOE test for commercial busses to ensure they are roadworthy but this does not examine the condition of internal furniture and lighting and airvents/air-conditioning in busses, it may well ensure that all seats have seat belts but it does not mean those seats are in any way comfortable enough for 2-4hour expressway journeys!

Yes I do mean that same test and you are incorrect to say that it doesn't examine interiors, completely incorrect. The DOE does check seats for worn cushions, upholstery for rips or tears, loose fittings while seat belts are checked for wear and tear, faults and that. Seat belts on buses are no worse than those on small cars or planes comfort wise but you can't change this. As to the other issues, all cabin lights need to be working (Not reading lights) and adequate air ventilation provided on board. Some operators provide a higher standard of interior for specialist or tour work and yes newer buses are better equipped as a rule but it's next to impossible to expect Bus Eireann to wholesale inspect and judge any seconded bus; this is what what the DOE test ensures in the first place; that a bus is fit for duty unless you have a mechanical expertise to say otherwise.

As a whole, if the bus is passed as fit to be worked then it's fit to carry passenger in spite of what level of service you wish to demand.

foggy_lad

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Did you read what I said at all?



I said that door sizes are usually standard except for those fitted for mobility impaired/wheelchair passengers.

I don't know if a Bus Eireann bus has a crew seat fitted but they don't get in the way of a passenger as they are well tucked in. If you are clumsy and hit into it it's you're look out



Yes I do mean that same test and you are incorrect to say that it doesn't examine interiors, completely incorrect. The DOE does check seats for worn cushions, upholstery for rips or tears, loose fittings while seat belts are checked for wear and tear, faults and that. Seat belts on buses are no worse than those on small cars or planes comfort wise but you can't change this. As to the other issues, all cabin lights need to be working (Not reading lights) and adequate air ventilation provided on board. Some operators provide a higher standard of interior for specialist or tour work and yes newer buses are better equipped as a rule but it's next to impossible to expect Bus Eireann to wholesale inspect and judge any seconded bus; this is what what the DOE test ensures in the first place; that a bus is fit for duty unless you have a mechanical expertise to say otherwise.

As a whole, if the bus is passed as fit to be worked then it's fit to carry passenger in spite of what level of service you wish to demand.

The door on this particular bus was much narrower than any bus eireann bus I have been on and this was made worse by the ticket machine which the bus entrance was not designed to have and the crew seat which made the entrance a lot smaller and narrower!

The test passes any bus for use expressway services require more comfortable busses which is not tested or checked for at all by bus eireann! The Saturday night busses to nightclubs all over the country are also fit for use but would not be considered fit for long distance or expressway use except by bus eireann as they will accept any old rubbish from their friends that hire the company busses as long as they have their written guarantee they are absolved of all accountability?

If bus eireann are paying taxpayers money for top quality hired coaches then why are they accepting bingo busses and clapped out touring busses many of which have been bought from English companies that deemed them unfit for long distance work.

call the police

foggy_lad wrote: »

Again this afternoon an on hire bus was being used for the 2.45 service to Dublin but despite being told by passengers and a bus eireann inspector that he was to go non-stop from castledermot the driver seemed adamant he would stop in naas if he picked up someone for naas!

QUOTE]

just to get back to this, was the driver ignoring the inspector, where did he expect to pick up someone for Naas

foggy_lad

call the police wrote: »

just to get back to this, was the driver ignoring the inspector, where did he expect to pick up someone for Naas

presumably in castledermot or maybe he fully intended going into Kilcullen and Naas picking up any passengers en route? so to answer from his responses to the inspector i would say that yes he was completly ignoring what the inspector had told him! even if someone in castledermot had presented asking to go to naas they should be told that the bus does not stop in naas.

call the police

foggy_lad wrote: »

presumably in castledermot or maybe he fully intended going into Kilcullen and Naas picking up any passengers en route? so to answer from his responses to the inspector i would say that yes he was completly ignoring what the inspector had told him! even if someone in castledermot had presented asking to go to naas they should be told that the bus does not stop in naas.

that is bizarre !, the driver was on hire and yet he was ignoring the people who hired him !!!

from reading your posts, i have to ask where do you find all of these drivers, you report they're texting - getting lost - turning interior lights off - ignoring inspectors - rude - etc. etc.
sounds like every journey you take is an adventure !!

parsi

call the police wrote: »

from reading your posts, i have to ask where do you find all of these drivers, you report they're texting - getting lost - turning interior lights off - ignoring inspectors - rude - etc. etc.
sounds like every journey you take is an adventure !!

It suits the rest of use fine - let the dodgy drivers be drawn inexplicably towards the great Carlow area and leave the rest of us with the ordinary run of the mill guys.

AlekSmart

It suits the rest of use fine - let the dodgy drivers be drawn inexplicably towards the great Carlow area and leave the rest of us with the ordinary run of the mill guys.

Classic !!!! A Carlow version of the Bermuda Bus Triangle

call the police

AlekSmart wrote: »

Classic !!!! A Carlow version of the Bermuda Bus Triangle

Carlow bus drivers - the last bastion of communism

foggy_lad

call the police wrote: »

Carlow bus drivers - the last bastion of communism

Very few if any of them are from Carlow with many from Dublin Waterford and South Tipperary areas with some from Naas

AlekSmart

Very few if any of them are from Carlow with many from Dublin Waterford and South Tipperary areas with some from Naas

Ah here now Foggy,this might explain your unfortunate experiences....I mean....c`mon now.....NAAS !!! Crikey it`s a wonder you manage to get home at all !!!!