Where to Hire Buses?

Duffman'05

Hi there,

I'm a class rep from NUI Galway looking to organise a trip for about 70 students.

Galway on a Saturday at 6pm to a residential address in Dublin, returning from that address at 5/6am.

Can anyone recommend a company that offers this kind of service at prices that are student friendly?

Cheers

Cookie_Monster

google "coach hire" or "bus hire" there are dozens of companies

coach will only seat ~53 so you may need more than one

Ham'nd'egger

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

google "coach hire" or "bus hire" there are dozens of companies

coach will only seat ~53 so you may need more than one

In the time it took him to post that up on here he'd have googled, called and booked his bus and all

Duffman'05

Hamndegger wrote: »

In the time it took him to post that up on here he'd have googled, called and booked his bus and all

And he would have if the companies he'd tried so far hadn't all been too expensive for students:rolleyes:

Ham'nd'egger

Duffman'05 wrote: »

And he would have if the companies he'd tried so far hadn't all been too expensive for students:rolleyes:

Can you enlighten us as to a group of students should get a cheaper rate for bus hire and why?

foggy_lad

off topic slightly but what kind of residential address is going to be able to house/cater for 70 rowdy boistrous drunk teenage students?

Duffman'05

Hamndegger wrote: »

Can you enlighten us as to a group of students should get a cheaper rate for bus hire and why?

Third degree Price Discrimination - businesses understand that students have a higher price elasticity of demand and can generally afford to pay less than the average worker, so they have to charge students less to entice them to buy from them. They also hope that this will make the students loyal and life long customers. Examples include Bus éireann, iarnrod éireann, Dublin Bus, GoBus, DART and Luas. If you need more explanation on it I recommend contacting aforementioned bus hire and other transport companies.

Neadine

But when you are hiring a bus using a Coach Hire company, their costs do not change regardless if they are carrying students, or people on a higher income. Their running costs remain the same; diesel costs, insurance, paying a driver, general wear and tear to vehicle.
The larger companies that you mentioned, Bus Éireann, etc., yes, they offer a student discount, but these are not private companies and are in a better position to be able to afford these offers. They frequently don't make a profit.
If private bus companies were to offer additional discounts to students, etc., then frequently they would no longer be profitable, and then non-viable as a business. Adding to the unemployed!!
You also want to be collected from the Dublin address at 5/6am, where do you think the driver is going to be hanging around until this hour? When it comes to anti-social hours like that, the companies usually charge extra, as is common practice in most industries.
You and a group of other students are going from Galway to Dublin to a party and are complaining about the cost. I work and because of current situations parties and socialising in general is a rarity. Should I get a discount because my wages have been cut, hugely, because our government have f*@ked up??

Sorry, but have no sympathy for this kind of situation. Realise this may result in a backlash, so let the stoning begin.

trellheim

Time honoured practice of ringing around.... you'll need two drivers for those hours I'd say ....

train would be better, 1805 from Galway and 0830 on the Sunday morning from Heuston, only slightly later, and far far cheaper.

Ham'nd'egger

Duffman'05 wrote: »

Third degree Price Discrimination - businesses understand that students have a higher price elasticity of demand and can generally afford to pay less than the average worker, so they have to charge students less to entice them to buy from them. They also hope that this will make the students loyal and life long customers. Examples include Bus éireann, iarnrod éireann, Dublin Bus, GoBus, DART and Luas. If you need more explanation on it I recommend contacting aforementioned bus hire and other transport companies.

I know this trade a little better than you do so I can speak with a little bit of knowledge on same. I did a lot of contract work for one of the better known travel companies and I can assure you that they never gave a discount to a group on the basis of them being students; if anything some private hire bus companies run a mile from student groups as they are among the messiest and most awkward customers out there.

Running a bus has a lot of inflexible costs and the trade is so cut throat that there is little scope for discounts; any that are there go to regular customers with easy planned runs. Such as those public routes you mention, many of which receive a state subvention that part covers a student discount.

foggy_lad

Neadine wrote: »

But when you are hiring a bus using a Coach Hire company, their costs do not change regardless if they are carrying students, or people on a higher income. Their running costs remain the same; diesel costs, insurance, paying a driver, general wear and tear to vehicle.
The larger companies that you mentioned, Bus Éireann, etc., yes, they offer a student discount, but these are not private companies and are in a better position to be able to afford these offers. They frequently don't make a profit.
If private bus companies were to offer additional discounts to students, etc., then frequently they would no longer be profitable, and then non-viable as a business. Adding to the unemployed!!
You also want to be collected from the Dublin address at 5/6am, where do you think the driver is going to be hanging around until this hour? When it comes to anti-social hours like that, the companies usually charge extra, as is common practice in most industries.
You and a group of other students are going from Galway to Dublin to a party and are complaining about the cost. I work and because of current situations parties and socialising in general is a rarity. Should I get a discount because my wages have been cut, hugely, because our government have f*@ked up??

Sorry, but have no sympathy for this kind of situation. Realise this may result in a backlash, so let the stoning begin.

but you are forgetting that the standard of bus needed for students need not be good so money is saved here and also other things like being on time are not that important,

op if you want cheap busses try some of the companies that hire vehicles and drivers to bus eireann. or check out local small operators of bingo busses etc.

Neadine

foggy_lad wrote: »

but you are forgetting that the standard of bus needed for students need not be good so money is saved here and also other things like being on time are not that important,

op if you want cheap busses try some of the companies that hire vehicles and drivers to bus eireann. or check out local small operators of bingo busses etc.

That is a load of bull, all buses have to be to a specific standard, regardless of the passengers they are carrying.

As for things like being on time, that's down to professionalism. If you were to avail of a service, and had requirements, like time, etc., and these requirements were not adhered to would you go back to that service provider?? I certainly wouldn't.

foggy_lad

Neadine wrote: »

That is a load of bull, all buses have to be to a specific standard, regardless of the passengers they are carrying.

As for things like being on time, that's down to professionalism. If you were to avail of a service, and had requirements, like time, etc., and these requirements were not adhered to would you go back to that service provider?? I certainly wouldn't.

so if you wanted a cheap bus you would insist on the newest bus in the operators fleet? or would you settle for the one that was on its last legs and might break down every so often but comes in at the right price? obviously certain safety standards must be met but after that anything goes!

Neadine

foggy_lad wrote: »

so if you wanted a cheap bus you would insist on the newest bus in the operators fleet? or would you settle for the one that was on its last legs and might break down every so often but comes in at the right price? obviously certain safety standards must be met but after that anything goes!

If a bus is on its 'last legs' and likely to break down then it shouldn't be part of the fleet. If it's not reliable to get passengers to their destination, safely, without breaking down.
It's not a case of insisting on the newest bus, it's a case of hiring a service, and expecting that service to be provided to a standard.

Del2005

The bus used doesn't have much affect on the total cost. You'll still need a driver, diesel, insurance, tax, tolls etc. The older bus could actually use more diesel therefore cost more. If a bus breaks down the operator would have to send out a replacement bus as they can't leave customers on the side of the road.

foggy_lad

Del2005 wrote: »

The bus used doesn't have much affect on the total cost. You'll still need a driver, diesel, insurance, tax, tolls etc. The older bus could actually use more diesel therefore cost more. If a bus breaks down the operator would have to send out a replacement bus as they can't leave customers on the side of the road.

but realistically operators using these bangers cant demand the same high rates that other operators can with newer more up to date coaches because customers wont put up with it!