Dublin Bus: Are routes the real problem?

EricPraline

There has been significant discussion here about the effects of the Network Direct programme, which is ostensibly meant to eliminate ineffective routes and improve reliability of the services provided by Dublin Bus. I don't mean to rely on a single personal anecdote, but an experience last week makes me wonder where the real problem lies with DB's apparent inefficiencies.

Arrived at O'Connell St at 11am mid-week on a cross-city route that is to be scrapped as part of the Network Direct process. Stopped and waited for a change of driver for 5 minutes on O'Connell St. Driver arrives, admits to the debarking driver that he is over 5 minutes late, and proceeds to loudly discuss his tardiness for 5 minutes, while simultaneously refusing new passengers any entry to the bus. I had a meeting to attend and other passengers were clearly not exactly pleased with the delay, but eventually we proceeded.

About a half km later, the driver was on the radio and within full ear-shot of the passengers on the ground floor literally proceeded as follows:

I'm running tens minutes late, but it doesn't matter anyway. I'll put the pin down. The great thing about being late is that other buses will pass you.

I'm not sure what was more concerning - the fact that driver actually said this, or that he said it in a way that was blatantly audible to the paying passengers behind him.

Ironically this particular bus route is due to be cancelled because of "route improvements". But if the same work practices and driver behaviour will remain, will we see a genuine improvement in service? Sadly this seems unlikely.

Cookie_Monster

the above is a symptom of unions and public/ semi state companies, nothing more. wasters like him become untouchable behind union protection and undriven targetless management do nothing about it anyway...

But to address the title, routes are not so much the problem as the complete lack of simplicity in connectivity. You cannot pay one (cash) fair for a multileg journey, no services are timed to run off timings of arriving services (Bus, Luas or Train) and even journeys which have attempted to be made somewhat interconnect have been ruined, eg the original revised 84 and the new mess due to political pressures.

New Haven

From what I understand there is a hardcore group of drivers who will go out of their way to be difficult and they will cause problems with the service on a regular basis. These drivers are however, in the minority. Most of the bus drivers I meet on a daily basis are pleasant and seem to do their job well.

A problem with Dublin Bus is weak management who are afraid to take on these problem drivers. They seem to be trying to keep any issues away from their political masters.