[Article] Double Decker Buses for Galway

KevR

Galway Independent wrote:

Fahey secures double-decker buses for Galway
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Double-decker buses will soon be a fixture on the streets of Galway, according to Galway West Deputy Frank Fahey, who said this week that he has secured a commitment from Bus Éireann on the issue. This assurance has been given following meetings between Deputy Fahey and CIE Chairman John Lynch and Regional Manager Brian Connolly. The first buses will travel on the Doughiska-Roscam route to the city centre, which is the most successful route in the area.

“The route is now running at near capacity at peak times and is contributing two thirds of Bus Éireann revenue in the city. It is expected that the new double-decker buses will be introduced on the route in the coming weeks. I have asked Bus Éireann to consider the provision of further double-decker buses for the Western route between the city centre and Knocknacarra Church serving NUIG and UCHG,” he explained.
“I believe it is absolutely essential that traffic volumes from Salthill and Knocknacarra are reduced during peak times while the new bus lanes on Seamus Quirke Road along by the Westside Shopping Centre are being constructed. This will inevitably lead to traffic delays and a high frequency bus service could reduce traffic delays. City Direct has also indicated that they will increase the frequency of their buses serving the Knocknacarra area.”

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/fahey-secures-double%11decker-buses-for-galway/

Extra capacity on any of the busy routes is certainly welcome.

I'm against the SQR/BOD bus lanes at the moment because the current bus service along that road is aweful and there aren't any publicised plans to dramatically improve it once the €10m bus lanes are finished. There should be a plan in place now for improved services along that route and it should be well publicised. Otherwise, I think the extra lanes on the SQR/BOD should be used to accomodate all traffic and not just buses.

I wonder if Fahey would be blowing his own trumpet if Bus Éireann said no - "I failed to secure double decker buses for Galway". I doubt it would be mentioned at all. :pac:

galwayrush

I hope the're not the same old ones we had back in the 70's...LOL

Keith186

Now ye's will have junkies shooting up on the buses like we do in Dublin!!

Be sure to thank Mr. Fahey.

skelliser

why they got rid of the ones we used to have god only knows!!

we have a great habit of tearing up infastucture in this country only to re-instate it years later! tram lines in dublin - luas
western rail corridor and so on

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

I'm struggling to see what benefit double-decker buses will have for any routes barr the no.9 bus. It wont benefit us if they're are less buses on the knocknacarra route for example. It may take increased capacity but I've never been refused entry to a bus because of over-crowding. It'll just stop buses at certain times from what I'm reading - which is not good (for me anyways because the only bus I use on a regular basis only has 5-10 people on it tops). I also hate the look of them double-decker tour buses around galway.

civis_liberalis

There have been double-deckers going to Aran for years

snubbleste

civis_liberalis wrote: »

There have been double-deckers going to Aran for years

Ah yes, I'll never forget when they built that long bridge tranversing the bay

KevR

THFC wrote: »

I'm struggling to see what benefit double-decker buses will have for any routes barr the no.9 bus. It wont benefit us if they're are less buses on the knocknacarra route for example. It may take increased capacity but I've never been refused entry to a bus because of over-crowding. It'll just stop buses at certain times from what I'm reading - which is not good (for me anyways because the only bus I use on a regular basis only has 5-10 people on it tops). I also hate the look of them double-decker tour buses around galway.

I'm not sure where you are getting the idea that there will be less buses. My understanding of what Fahey is saying in the article is that he is trying to get some double decker buses and a higher frequency on routes such as Knocknacarra to help reduce car traffic on the SQR/BOD road.

Also, the double deckers will probably be reasonably new and painted in BE colours (try googling "Cork double deckers"). They're not going to look like the ancient ugly tour buses so I wouldn't worry about that.

dilallio

skelliser wrote: »

why they got rid of the ones we used to have god only knows!!

we have a great habit of tearing up infastucture in this country only to re-instate it years later! tram lines in dublin - luas
western rail corridor and so on

The previous double-decker buses were operated by a driver and a conductor.
One of the main reasons for getting rid of them at the time was to eliminate the need for a conductor. The drivers also refused to operate the double-deckers without a conductor.

dolphin city

going back to the future again.

civis_liberalis

snubbleste wrote: »

Ah yes, I'll never forget when they built that long bridge tranversing the bay

The bus from the city that transports passengers intending to take the Rossaveal - Aran ferry service is a double-decker.

civis_liberalis

The double-deckers are badly needed at peak-times. The Parkmore bus is a crush any time near 5pm. It's difficult for elderly passengers and people with young children to get on. Schoolkids are ignorant bastards, but in their defence, they treat everyone with the same amount of disrespect.

apoeiguq3094y

Keith186 wrote: »

Now ye's will have junkies shooting up on the buses like we do in Dublin!!

Be sure to thank Mr. Fahey.

if there's not enough capacity people complain (rightly), but then when someone takes the initiative to secure more capacity- people complain... and now I have to complain about all the complaining!

don't think this will be as big a problem here as the doughishka route is mostly people going to work.

Mrs OBumble

KevR wrote: »

I'm not sure where you are getting the idea that there will be less buses. My understanding of what Fahey is saying in the article is that he is trying to get some double decker buses and a higher frequency on routes such as Knocknacarra to help reduce car traffic on the SQR/BOD road.

I can't help but wonder if it's part of the same set of changes referred to in this thread, which certainly does involve cuts.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

KevR wrote: »

Also, the double deckers will probably be reasonably new and painted in BE colours (try googling "Cork double deckers"). They're not going to look like the ancient ugly tour buses so I wouldn't worry about that.

Ah yeah, they actually dont look that bad! Waaay better than the Dublin Bus ones and them tour buses.

KevR

Saw a double decker Bus Eireann bus going along the Dublin Road bus lane inbound 20 mins ago. Don't think there were any passengers on it and it said 'Out of Service' so I presume they were just doing some driver training. Bus I saw is 2002 reg

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Saw a double decker Bus Eireann bus going along the Dublin Road bus lane inbound 20 mins ago. Don't think there were any passengers on it and it said 'Out of Service' so I presume they were just doing some driver training. Bus I saw is 2002 reg

Ya there's only one i think... a 02 reg.

apoeiguq3094y

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Ya there's only one i think... a 02 reg.

Obviously one that they no longer use from the pale that they have passed on to us. God forbid anyone would invest in transport outside of Dublin

/rant

I wonder if they are just using one for the trials or if we will have a few in service?

KevR

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Ya there's only one i think... a 02 reg.

How do you know there's only one? I was under the impression that there would be a few..

One on it's own will barely make a difference unless it's deployed in the right places at exactly the right times.

KevR

apoeiguq3094y wrote: »

Obviously one that they no longer use from the pale that they have passed on to us. God forbid anyone would invest in transport outside of Dublin

/rant

I wonder if they are just using one for the trials or if we will have a few in service?

To be honest, it would have been a waste of money to buy new double decker buses for Galway if there are buses in reasonably good condition sitting idle in Dublin.

xo.mary

I heard no.9 bus drivers talking about getting double deckers on the route. It would be so good, at rush hour the buses are seriously packed.

civis_liberalis

xo.mary wrote: »

It would be so good, at rush hour the buses are seriously packed.

Yeah, I usually get off a stop or two before my destination on the way home because the bus gets too full if I wait until after, It can be a real struggle to get out of the bus otherwise.

Will they be using both sets of doors?

Xiney

I've seen the number 9 bus go by with "bus full - new bus following" up on the bit where it usually says the bus number.

Xiney

Xiney wrote: »

I've seen the number 9 bus go by with "bus full - new bus following" up on the bit where it usually says the bus number.

It's serving too many hot spots.
General public, all in the Doughiska/Roscam area, workers up at the end of the line, and GMIT students.

Strangly enough the bus has been sitting down the swamp(south park near claddagh) towards the pedestrian walkway for the past two days.

Seems like a silly place to leave a bus, very isolated down there at night.

Eire celticbhoy

Does anyone have a picture of them.?When do they start service i wonder.?Hopefully they ll benefit Galway

Xiney

Xiney wrote: »

I've seen the number 9 bus go by with "bus full - new bus following" up on the bit where it usually says the bus number.

I was always curious as to whether that was the bus full, or it was the extra bus following the full bus.

It could be read as "bus full/extra bus following" or "extra bus following/bus full"

KevR

Saw a double decker No. 9 Parkmore bus on the Dublin Road outbound this evening. It looked to be about half full and there was another No. 9 outbound bus (single deck) a few minutes behind it which looked to be almost 75% full. Really good passenger loadings considering it was off-peak (although there would have been extra people in town what with the market in Eyre Square).

Mrs OBumble

Town's been manic this weekend: don't know if the regular shops noticed it, but overall it had me thinking "whoa, is it the 8th already?".

The queue of cars trying to get into the Eyre Square centre car-park just after lunch yesterday stretched most of the way down Merchants Rd.

So I'm not surprised the buses were that full.

It was overkill to have the double-decker running at 10:30am this morning though: there were about three passengers on it!

antoobrien

JustMary wrote: »

It was overkill to have the double-decker running at 10:30am this morning though: there were about three passengers on it!

Realistically this bus will have been on since the driver started at 7 or whenever, so it's not really overkill if it was being used in the morning rush. It used to be standard practice that the bus drivers would change in the square and only bring in the buses for fuel, maintenance etc.

If the aim of the city council and Bus Eireann is to get people in the bus area out of their cars and into the buses, then we need to see more double deckers on in and about the peak times to show people that there is capacity. I'd have loved to see one on the parkmore bus route on Saturday afternoon, the bus looked like it couldn't take too many more. If i'd have been in renmore and saw a bus as busy as the bus I was on coming, i'd have kept walking.

muppetkiller

There's actually less seats downstairs on the Double Deckers. Don't see the point of them to be honest.

KevR

muppetkiller wrote: »

There's actually less seats downstairs on the Double Deckers. Don't see the point of them to be honest.

A few less seats downstairs but a lot more seats overall.

Mrs OBumble

antoobrien wrote: »

Realistically this bus will have been on since the driver started at 7 or whenever, so it's not really overkill if it was being used in the morning rush.

Erm, it was Sunday. Not a big morning rush day ;-)


Re the point of 'em with less seating downstairs: if it was me, I'd rip out all but a dozen seats (for old, pregnant and disabled people), and have the rest as standing space with lots of rails to hold on to. Extra capacity and fights obesity at the same time.

I saw one today. It was filthy.

I guess Bus Eireann don't have a double height bus wash in Galway.

westgolf

In fairness its hard to keep any vehicle looking well in the present conditions with slush and all sorts of other crap on the roads, especially if the more prominent colour on a double decker in Bus Eireann livery would be white,

westgolf

KevR

Galway News wrote:

Doughiska bus route tops million passengers in year

December 7, 2010 - 7:30am New road corridor through HSE lands at Merlin Park in pipeline


BY FRANK FARRAGHER
The success of the Doughiska-city centre bus service – now carrying an incredible one million passengers every year – could help to free-up funding for the roll-out of many more public transport corridors in the city over the next couple of years.


Bus Éireann confirmed to the Sentinel that passenger numbers on the No 9 Doughiska to city centre bus service had now reached the one million a year mark, accounting for about one third of revenue for the company in the city.


Brian Connolly, Bus Éireann Area Manager, said the success of this route had demonstrated quite clearly that public transport had huge potential for further expansion in the city, adding that the Dublin Road bus corridor had contributed hugely to the smooth running of this service.


“The Dublin Road bus corridor has been an overwhelming success and I would like to acknowledge the commitment and pro-active approach of the City Council to the provision of bus corridors in the city,” said Mr Connolly.
The city has also a number of design plans in place which could further streamline the service to the greater Doughiska area, including an exclusive public transport road corridor through the HSE lands at Merlin Park from the Galway Crystal outlet to the Doughiska Road.


The City Council has confirmed that it has an agreement in place with the HSE for the provision of this route over the coming years with early design plans in place for the road link, which will be dependent on funding from the Department of Transport.


Design plans are also in place for public transport bus corridors on the Monivea Road, Rahoon Road and Dock Road over the coming years, while work is already well under way on the Seamus Quirke Road, with a bus corridor link scheduled to be in operation in both directions from late next year.

Link

KevR

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Ya there's only one i think... a 02 reg.

Sorry to bump an old thread but I saw three double decker buses in the BE yard when passing by on the train a couple of weeks ago. Was the middle of the day when I passed so there could be more than three (one or more other buses out on the road at the same time as I saw the three in the yard).

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Sorry to bump an old thread but I saw three double decker buses in the BE yard when passing by on the train a couple of weeks ago. Was the middle of the day when I passed so there could be more than three (one or more other buses out on the road at the same time as I saw the three in the yard).

There was only one initially anyway.

Although I even noticed the increase myself as I passed two out just before xmas beside GMIT

Mrs OBumble

Yeah, I've been trying to spot the number on each.

I'm not totally obsessive so didn't try to do this initially. It only occurred to me when I happened to see three of 'em not together, but in such a way that I realised there must be at least three.

Have only got DD11 so far, though.