Dublin Bus Nitelink's this weekend?

Tenzor07

Hi, anyone know if the Nitelink services will be runing this weekend, their seems to be no info on the Dublinbus website, so I would assume they are still operating normally?

Cool Mo D

It will likely depend on the weather, on the day. The last few days have seen Dublin Bus stop running buses after 8 or 9 pm. If heavy snow falls, I imagine it's very likely that Nitelinks will not run. If snow falls while Nitelinks are running, it's likely that Nitelinks will be pulled.

penexpers

RTE News are reporting that they are cancelled.

the_syco

http://www.dublinbus.ie/

Friday, December 03, 2010

Updated 16:00
Nitelink services not operating tonight Friday 3rd December

Dublin Bus wishes to advise its customers that due to adverse weather conditions the diversions and curtailments listed below are currently in place.
Road conditions are very icy across the city and we will continue to monitor all routes and corridors throughout the evening and will update the information below continuously. We will make every effort to operate as many services this evening as possible weather permitting.

However in view of the forecast tonight for severe frost and ice developing combined with current road conditions Dublin Bus Nitelink services will not operate tonight, Friday 3rd December.

penexpers

Nitelink's cancelled tonight as well.

ardmacha

Nitelinks run on main routes for the most part and on a night when no further snow is expected it should have been possible to run them as a mark of normality. Dry freezing conditions should not cause the city to grind to a halt.

Run_to_da_hills

ardmacha wrote: »

Nitelinks run on main routes for the most part and on a night when no further snow is expected it should have been possible to run them as a mark of normality. Dry freezing conditions should not cause the city to grind to a halt.

Black ice / frozen rain is the real danger. I experienced it myself last night. What's the point of CIE risking their drivers and property over a hand full of people that want to enjoy themselves on a night out.

BenShermin

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Black ice / frozen rain is the real danger. I experienced it myself last night. What's the point of CIE risking their drivers and property over a hand full of people that want to enjoy themselves on a night out.

And barstaff, retail staff, hotel staff etc. that want to get home.

If Dublin Bus used the threat of black ice as an excuse not to run a service there would be no bus service at all. Snow or no snow, there's always a risk of black ice in cold weather.

Losty Dublin

It's a lot safer out there today on the main roads but given the chaos last weeks snow has caused, I think I'd have called off what is not one their core services until they can be fairly sure that such a service can be reasonably safe running.

ardmacha

Dublin Bus are should be in business of providing transport, the roads have no more ice at 1am than at 11:30pm. But there are bigger issues, a transport company who is happy to have customers resort to other modes, thereby losing business and a government that can't manage to get its agencies to grit roads and provide transport thereby keeping economic activity in the city alive. Restaurants are labour intensive while pubs raise a great deal of government revenue and there is no point about talking about complex economic stumulus measures if a simple measure like transport cannot be provided.

AlekSmart

Dublin Bus are should be in business of providing transport, the roads have no more ice at 1am than at 11:30pm. But there are bigger issues, a transport company who is happy to have customers resort to other modes, thereby losing business and a government that can't manage to get its agencies to grit roads and provide transport thereby keeping economic activity in the city alive. Restaurants are labour intensive while pubs raise a great deal of government revenue and there is no point about talking about complex economic stumulus measures if a simple measure like transport cannot be provided.

Quite the rant there alright Ardmacha,and I`m sure all very neatly segway`d into your belief on how the world is structured.

For you it may indeed be all about a Bus Company failing to enter into the spirit of things by taking a bit of an oul risk....nothing much really just the carriage of a numerous happy clappy folks just out on the town for a night.

I passed my first driving test back in 1975 and continued the process until I secured the "Full-House" which to date remains free of PP`s,endorsements or other blemishes.

I`ve worked all through this past week and whilst it was,at times,challenging,it never reached a stage of being beyond my capabilities.

Tonight (Sat 4/12) I have been out on two seperate occasions and I personally feel that driving conditions are the worst I have ever experienced.

I would challenge the notion of no difference in conditions between 23.30 anc 01.00 as both the reduction in traffic and the closing of Night Clubs as well as a continuing drop in air temperatures all contribute to a worsening scenario.

The changed dynamic of Nitelink driving,with a smaller allocation of drivers covering the same number of departures,is leading to a reduced capability of Nitelink anyway,but in the present conditions it means Nitelink as currently structured simply cannot work...the notion of running any public transport service on an "Express" basis just will not wash.

The condition of Dublin`s main roads tonight is beyond what a reasonable preson would describe as safe and more particularly if that reasonable person is assuming responsibility for the safe carriage of passengers

I firmly believe that Dublin Bus should always be the last to leave the field of play on occasions like this and I`m happy that for the most part this time round that`s how it went.....BUT in the specific regard of the Nitelink suspension I believe it`s the right call.

However,it does again focus a light on the incredible lack of response from the Departments of Environment and Transport as well as the Statutory Authorities who appear to now function in Monday to Friday mode only.

Providing that "simple measure,like transport" under tonights conditions would only be possible with direct and ongoing assistance from the Authorities through the night.....that obviously will not/cannot happen.

As I`ve posted elsewhere,I believe the past week`s events are a last wake-up call to everybody involved in Public Transport to get our act together,particularly at a Regulatory level.

The notion that integration as a concept is limited to ticketing alone needs to disappear rapidly and instead the reality of Public Transport as an integral part of a Capital City needs to be adopted asap.

No matter...I still think the Nitelink suspension was the only rational course of action given the circumstances.

Royale with Cheese

I was in town a few hours ago. Roads look completely clear but are very slippy. Plenty of black ice around, it's no wonder the nitelinks aren't running.

ardmacha

The condition of Dublin`s main roads tonight is beyond what a reasonable preson would describe as safe and more particularly if that reasonable person is assuming responsibility for the safe carriage of passengers

I accept the roads are slippery, although I am not sure about them beocming more so, they've been frozen since early evening. I agree, Aleksmart, that broader approach to transport is needed than Dublinbus can acheive alone. But even if you regard Nitelink suspension merely as a symptom of the situation, then it is a symptom of failure. The failure is twofold, mainly a failure to ensure that there is no ice on key corridors out of the city, but also a smaller issue of organisation of nitelinks. I just think that prospect of suspending nitelinks in the season of Christmas each frosty night is yet another indication of our failure as a country. One Minister's salary would probably grit Dublin roads every Saturday night that it was needed.

Capt'n Midnight

ardmacha wrote: »

Dry freezing conditions should not cause the city to grind to a halt.

tonight was a lot slippery than the last two nights

tonight was black ice since the roads were nearly dry

the previous two nights the slush on the roads was wet from the tyres , there was energy (heat) transfer to it

KD345

ardmacha wrote: »

Dublin Bus are should be in business of providing transport, the roads have no more ice at 1am than at 11:30pm. But there are bigger issues, a transport company who is happy to have customers resort to other modes, thereby losing business and a government that can't manage to get its agencies to grit roads and provide transport thereby keeping economic activity in the city alive. Restaurants are labour intensive while pubs raise a great deal of government revenue and there is no point about talking about complex economic stumulus measures if a simple measure like transport cannot be provided.

The roads are in a far worse state now than they were earlier. Even paths which were clear are once again sheets of ice. The Chapelizod Bypass has been closed by Gardai tonight as it's just become one big road of black ice. If the council are only prepared to grit roads Monday to Friday then Dublin Bus are right to remove their night service. I would not fancy driving 100 people around on dangerous road conditions.

ardmacha

tonight was black ice since the roads were nearly dry

the previous two nights the slush on the roads was wet from the tyres , there was energy (heat) transfer to it

Having been out, I accept this. But they could be salted.

The Chapelizod Bypass has been closed by Gardai tonight

That they cannot/will not grit a major national primary route is indicative of a broader problem than public transport.

Someone should send a FOI request asking for a comparision gritting on Friday with Saturday.

Run_to_da_hills

BenShermin wrote: »

And barstaff, retail staff, hotel staff etc. that want to get home.

If Dublin Bus used the threat of black ice as an excuse not to run a service there would be no bus service at all. Snow or no snow, there's always a risk of black ice in cold weather.

There was enough warnings about this in the media, people that work late in the CC should be prepared for it, stay over or just take the night off.

The owner of any pub in the city center would be glad of giving staff the night off with the current downturn in business. As for hotel staff, there should be enough empty rooms to put them up for the night.

I am sure if the bus skidded off the road and ended up on its side you would be the first one down to a solicitors office.

penexpers

ardmacha wrote: »

Having been out, I accept this. But they could be salted.

It's not in Dublin Bus' remit to salt roads. They have to deal with the conditions they are presented with and in this case, they made the right decision.