Bus Eireann routes 109/109A Changes

Fiskar

tom23 wrote: »

why the stop in Blanch Centre at all is baffling. I could count on one hand how many people they pick up after 8. Most people tend to wander down to the slip road.

Drove into work Friday, saw a 109 at the 7.45am mark go up the road to service the B Shopping Centre. Took him at least 15 mins before he caught up with me at the half way house. Not impressed, because from the schedule I am looking at, there is no service going up that slip road.

tom23

Vic_08 wrote: »

Nobody here can answer that, why don't you ask the muppets that actually insisted on the route.

info@nationaltransport.ie


I have been told that Bus Eireann did not want to serve the centre with the 109 but the NTA insisted on it.

The fact that peak services omit it in both directions is an admission that it is an unnecessary time wasteing diversion that inconveniences the vast majority of passengers.

Maybe a few the NTA fellows need to sit on the 109 while it struggles to get in and out of the Blanch Centre. Maybe that will change their mind.

AlekSmart

tom23 wrote: »

Maybe a few the NTA fellows need to sit on the 109 while it struggles to get in and out of the Blanch Centre. Maybe that will change their mind.

That is actually a very good suggestion Tom23.

I tend to find that a flapping trench coat,a laptop and a mileage allowance do not make for good Public Transport appreciation...;)

malene

foggy_lad wrote: »

only the buses in the morning and evening rush hours monday-friday by-pass the shopping centre, all the rest stop in the shopping centre.

ah crap!

AlekSmart

malene wrote: »

ah crap!

Please forward to NTA.ie

tom23

I don't know if anyone gets the 09:30 to Cavan but I work late a lot of nights now and the journey takes 70/80 minutes with not a bit of traffic on the road. I have often made Navan at peak time on a bus in 65/70. Same bus, same driver and its torture, I'd cycle home faster.

Commuter109

tom23 wrote: »

I don't know if anyone gets the 09:30 to Cavan but I work late a lot of nights now and the journey takes 70/80 minutes with not a bit of traffic on the road. I have often made Navan at peak time on a bus in 65/70. Same bus, same driver and its torture, I'd cycle home faster.

Blanch or no blanch 80 minutes to Navan at that time of night is scandalous . I got a 109a from the airport and despite the fact that it does Navan via dcu, ikea, Ashbourne , ratoath , and dunslaughlin I still got home quicker than you !

Fiskar

tom23 wrote: »

I don't know if anyone gets the 09:30 to Cavan but I work late a lot of nights now and the journey takes 70/80 minutes with not a bit of traffic on the road. I have often made Navan at peak time on a bus in 65/70. Same bus, same driver and its torture, I'd cycle home faster.

Today was my first day on the 109 route, getting in on the 7.20 Xpress was fab, getting home on the 5pm 109 was absolute torture, had to get off at the Ardboyne at 6.20 and walk from there. Give it 5 more mins and it would have taken 85 mins to reach the destination it should have got to by 6.05pm. There should be an M3 Xpress at 5 pm.

foggy_lad

Commuter109 wrote: »

Blanch or no blanch 80 minutes to Navan at that time of night is scandalous . I got a 109a from the airport and despite the fact that it does Navan via dcu, ikea, Ashbourne , ratoath , and dunslaughlin I still got home quicker than you !

The journey has to be done at 80Kph most of the way as anything more and the driver risks fines and penalty points for speeding!

tom23

foggy_lad wrote: »

The journey has to be done at 80Kph most of the way as anything more and the driver risks fines and penalty points for speeding!

Maybe so, but this driver is going way below the speed limit, he is a nice guy, cares about his job and thats fine. Before christmas, same driver, bus is jammed full, goes into the centre to stop and tell people he is full, stops again on the slip road and then in Clonee to tell people he is full. Ridiculous. A regular BE driver would of bypassed it and used a bit of savvy. Thursday night it actually took him 90 minutes? Now thats taking the biscuit.

Working all day and I finish at 8. Cant get to bus eireann before the 8:30 departure to Navan and then you have to wait around till 9:30 knowing that its going take at least 80 minutes and not a car on the road.

Commuter109

foggy_lad wrote: »

The journey has to be done at 80Kph most of the way as anything more and the driver risks fines and penalty points for speeding!

I had the same driver twice over the christmas period, and he let 4-5 people stand on the bus, so compliance with the law isn't formost on his mind from what i saw.

Without looking at the timetable, I'm sure there are plenty of journey times quoted on that R109 timetable, that cant physically be done if sticking absolutely to speed limits

Fiskar

Took the 4.45pm today as opposed to the 5pm and that was even slower than the 5pm, getting into Navan a full 22 minutes behind schedule. Have forwarded these times to Bus Eireann as they do not correspond with the advertised schedule. They need an xpress for 5pm on the route.
The morning express at 7.20 seems to meet the schedule with no problems. Why can't they except that the schedule cannot be met by not using the M3 and those Blanch and Clonnee stops.

foggy_lad

Fiskar wrote: »

Took the 4.45pm today as opposed to the 5pm and that was even slower than the 5pm, getting into Navan a full 22 minutes behind schedule. Have forwarded these times to Bus Eireann as they do not correspond with the advertised schedule. They need an xpress for 5pm on the route.
The morning express at 7.20 seems to meet the schedule with no problems. Why can't they except that the schedule cannot be met by not using the M3 and those Blanch and Clonnee stops.

You and others should forward any times to the nta rather than to bus eireann if there is ever to be hope of a resolution to your issues.

Talk to the hand

foggy_lad wrote: »

You and others should forward any times to the nta rather than to bus eireann if there is ever to be hope of a resolution to your issues.

Why shouldn't Bus Eireann be notified, after all they are the service provider in this instance?

foggy_lad

Talk to the hand wrote: »

Why shouldn't Bus Eireann be notified, after all they are the service provider in this instance?

They are already aware of the times unless they dont keep records of when drivers start and finish journeys. They just chose to deny they are unable to stick to the unattainable timetables.

Fiskar

foggy_lad wrote: »

You and others should forward any times to the nta rather than to bus eireann if there is ever to be hope of a resolution to your issues.

Done, and will keep on doing it to build a log of how disportionate the schedule is to the reality

parsi

tom23 wrote: »

Maybe so, but this driver is going way below the speed limit, he is a nice guy, cares about his job and thats fine. Before christmas, same driver, bus is jammed full, goes into the centre to stop and tell people he is full, stops again on the slip road and then in Clonee to tell people he is full. Ridiculous. A regular BE driver would of bypassed it and used a bit of savvy. Thursday night it actually took him 90 minutes? Now thats taking the biscuit.

Working all day and I finish at 8. Cant get to bus eireann before the 8:30 departure to Navan and then you have to wait around till 9:30 knowing that its going take at least 80 minutes and not a car on the road.

Surely if he didn't turn up at all it would be worse and ye'd be left wondering what the blazes is going on ?

EDIT: Maybe we should bring back the old rules and not allow free travel during peak hours ?

foggy_lad

It might help bus éirean throuh their current difficulty with seeking cost cutting measures. Less passengers=less buses=less drivers=lower costs

AlekSmart

foggy_lad wrote: »

It might help bus éirean throuh their current difficulty with seeking cost cutting measures. Less passengers=less buses=less drivers=lower costs

Swings and roundabouts though,as that would leave many people with hugely increased heating and lighting bills as they would have to stay at home,rather than endlessly traversing the countryside in search of.......;)

tom23

parsi wrote: »

Surely if he didn't turn up at all it would be worse and ye'd be left wondering what the blazes is going on ?

EDIT: Maybe we should bring back the old rules and not allow free travel during peak hours ?

Confused as to your reference to free travel but that aside, but is it to much to expect that a bus near the dead if night get home in reasonable fashion or am I expecting to much for my tax?

Or am I expecting to much that we have a central bus station not fit for purpose, or am I expecting to much that after a year and a bit leap has not made a dent in the way people pay for their tickets on bus eirean? That cash is king and also adds around ten mins on to journey time every Monday and Wednesday.

horseburger

Hi

I thought to highlight that commuters from Kells and Navan to Dublin can take the number 30 midnight Dublin to Donegal bus from Bus Aras seven nights a week, to Navan and Kells. Since 14th October the midnight 30 bus from Bus Aras has been stopping in both towns.

It leaves from the main entrance at Bus Aras and gets into Navan usually between 12.58am - 1.05am and into Kells about 1.15am-1.20am

Here is the link to the timetable for the Dublin to Donegal number 30 bus on buseireann.ie which indicates that the midnight bus from Dublin Bus Aras, since last October 14th, stops in Navan and Kells.

People can also take this bus at the airport at 12.20am seven nights a week to Navan and Kells

http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1349436566-30.pdf

(I posted this note in another discussion on the nightrider 109N bus from Bus Aras and thought, since I hadn't noticed this service mentioned, it may be of interest to readers of this discussion. I am not connected to Bus Eireann, just a bus user, in case anyone queries why I have joined so recently:))

horseburger

hi

I think the link to the Dublin Donegal timetable in the last message is not working

I think this one below works, indicating that the midnight 30 bus from Dublin stops in Navan and Kells

http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1360750243-030.pdf

Geog1234

The Sillan service (which essentially parallels the 109 between Navan and Dublin & more or less parallels the 107 between Kingscourt, Nobber and Navan) has now been extended to UCD.

Their 16.35 hrs. journey from the city (Nassau Street) now uses the Port Tunnel and M3.

Details:http://www.sillan.ie/index.php/ucd

They also have a return bus from UCD (through service).

think Bus Éireann had an evening shuttle years ago.

Kutebride

Good ole BE. 1605 from Navan on timetable is Via M3. I figured I would not make this service. I aimed for the 1635 leaving Navan town. The bus arrived at 1635 at ardboyne. Great stuff. To my surprise it takes M3. Must be the 1605 running 30mins behind. Flying along only to crawl up to Blanch SC in the roadworks.
Least a person got off at Blanch SC.no traffic on exit out. Phew.

Don't avail of BE on a regular basis. Private coach wen commuting to city Ctr on days I work.

Commuter109

Pity the applicable limit wasnt 50km!

Transport
New rights for bus and coach passengers in EU
By Isabelle Smets | Friday 01 March 2013

Passengers in bus and coach transport will now be better protected under new EU rules that came into force on 1 March. Regulation 181/2011 lays down passenger rights similar to those already in force for air, rail and boat transport.

For journeys of more than 250 kms, passengers can now claim a refund of the full price of the ticket or rerouting in case of overbooking, cancellation or delays of more than two hours from the estimated time of departure. If the transport company does not offer the possibility of rerouting, the passenger can also claim a refund for the full price of the ticket, as well as compensation of 50% of the ticket price.

For journeys of more than three hours and over 250 kms, the passenger can claim assistance free of charge in case of a cancellation or delay of more than 90 minutes, meaning snacks, meals, refreshments and if necessary, a hotel room or other form of accommodation. The company can limit the price of the accommodation to €80 per night and the duration to two nights (but this sum does not include transport between the station and the lodgings). The right to accommodation does not apply if the cancellation or delay is due to weather conditions or natural disasters, which compromise the safe use of the service.

In the case of a road accident, compensation will be provided for injury or death. The amount of compensation will be calculated according to national law, but the maximum amount provided for cannot be less than €220,000 per passenger and €1,200 per piece of luggage.

Disabled persons and those with reduced mobility now have the right to free assistance in certain designated bus terminals (a list is due to be published online by the European Commission) and on board vehicles. Where necessary, such persons may be accompanied by a person of their choice to provide the assistance required.

It now remains to be seen how the new rules will be put into practice. The Commission will hold a meeting with competent authorities this autumn.

tom23

Again don't understand the policy of standing on bus eireann, good old driver on the 9:30 from bus aras had four people standing, can someone tell me cathergorically is this breaking the law?

I hope some from bus eireann is reading this.

tom23

Again don't understand the policy of standing on bus eireann, good old driver on the 9:30 from bus aras had four people standing, can someone tell me cathergorically is this breaking the law?

I hope some from bus eireann is reading this.

foggy_lad

tom23 wrote: »

Again don't understand the policy of standing on bus eireann, good old driver on the 9:30 from bus aras had four people standing, can someone tell me cathergorically is this breaking the law?

I hope some from bus eireann is reading this.

Yes it is breaking the law as the vehicle is most likely not rated to carry any standees and was most likely doing more than 40mph at times when people were standing.

You should make a complaint to the NTA.

tom23

foggy_lad wrote: »

Yes it is breaking the law as the vehicle is most likely not rated to carry any standees and was most likely doing more than 40mph at times when people were standing.

You should make a complaint to the NTA.

Well this guy is driving a private bus and does it on a regular basis, crazy. One of these days he won't get away with it.

Kutebride

I was on the 2030 last night and people standing also.

tom23

Because this makes perfect sense, bus is behind schedule by over an hour and it still goes up Blanchardstown slip road to add another 15/20 minutes on the journey. Transport for all, you got love it.

Commuter109

tom23 wrote: »

Because this makes perfect sense, bus is behind schedule by over an hour and it still goes up Blanchardstown slip road to add another 15/20 minutes on the journey. Transport for all, you got love it.

I take it you are referring to your journey in today Tom?

Irish Steve

Strikes me that the whole concept of longer route buses going into Blanchardstown centre needs to be revisited. Maybe not even just that, perhaps even things like the routes out of town, and the stops that BE make on the way out.

So, here's a radical thought. How about if BE start from Busaras, or Beresford Place, depending on the route, and the 109 then goes via DPT, M50, with first stop being the M3 Parkway station. For connections from places like Phibsboro, or Castleknock, or other places between, DB provide that connect, or the 105 is used, with an interchange being allowed at the M3 Parkway station within the one ticket.

It really is time for the minister, or someone in a very high place to get BE & DB in to their office, and read the riot act to them about their parochial p1ssing up the wall in terms of who covers where. DB should be dealing with Dublin area, and BE should be dealing with longer haul routes, with some changes being made to restore sanity.

It makes no sense for DB to go to Balbriggan, but BE do Ashbourne, especially as there is now a DB depot at Harristown, and a DB route already to Rolestown. That should come on through to at least Ashbourne, and DB should be covering Ashbourne, with other destinations available, only having Busaras, the Airport and Blanchardstown available from Ashbourne at this stage with no ticket interchangeability is crazy, as it makes it impossible for people who need to get to places like Tallaght, or Sandyford, or Citywest, or the Naas road, to use public transport, as the times to get to the centre to then get out again, and then do the same in reverse at the other end of the day are just unreal.

So, going back to the original discussion, if a passenger at Blanch Shopping centre is heading for Dunshaughlin, or Navan or Kells, then the 105, or a DB service is the first choice, with a change at M3 Parkway, which hopefully will be sensibly coordinated to avoid stupid delays. That way, the buses that are serving the longer hauls are not spending a disproportionate length of time going in and around difficult locations like Blanch at peak periods. For the numbers involved, that has to be a better arrangement than sending the 109 in around the centre when it's probably already well loaded, given the time it takes to get off the M3 and back on again, when a quick side excursion into M3 Parkway would be much quicker, and possibly open up the route to other passengers from places that the 109 doesn't go,

munchkin_utd

just to tack in with the last post (EDIT:which is about utilising M3parkway as a hub to connect to subsidised Dublin Bus services) - if the plan is to extend the rail line to Navan then WHY are the people of Navan or the NTA not pushing to get express shuttles to the M3 parkway to get the (subsidised) underutilised , almost empty trains that leave the (subsidised) train station.

If the end game in the medium term is that the subsidised 109 will be replaced by a subsidised train anyhow, then why not NOW save cash by running some 109s as a non stop express down the motorway to M3 Parkway and terminating them there (saving bus kilometres and taxpayer subsidy) and filling otherwise empty subsidsed trains.

Seriously, no other country in Europe would have 2 subsided routes running so frequently in parallel to each other especially when one of them is high capacity and running VERY much under capacity

malene

Got stung last night, my bad. NO 109N on a Sunday, even if it is a bank Holiday. There were 4 of us there waiting on o connell st and we assumes it was coming. B.E should really put a 109N on a Bank Holiday, especially one as big as Paddy's day.

horseburger

malene wrote: »

Got stung last night, my bad. NO 109N on a Sunday, even if it is a bank Holiday. There were 4 of us there waiting on o connell st and we assumes it was coming. B.E should really put a 109N on a Bank Holiday, especially one as big as Paddy's day.

On bank holidays, the timetables used are the Sunday times, so the last 109 from Bus Aras is 11pm

The 109N 12.30 am and 3.30 am bus on Friday and Saturday nights has been running since late November 2003.

When it began, for a very short period, it ran on Thursdays, as well as Friday and Saturday nights, but pretty soon after it was introduced, the Thursday service was stopped and since then it's been Friday and Saturday nights, never on a Sunday night.

It is only during the Christmas period that 12.30am and 3.30am buses are run on certain other nights of the week, as well as Fridays and Saturdays.

If it was the 12.30am bus, that you were expecting to get, you can get the number 30 Donegal bus at midnight from Bus Aras, seven nights a week, to Navan and Kells. http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1360750243-030.pdf

Before it leaves, it will be parked at the Store St side and passengers can board there, and it will then go round to the main entrance to pick up passengers there. (Bus Aras locks up at 11pm, which is why people waiting for it are standing along the main entrance and Store St ).

It is quite strange to see people coming down to Bus Aras, and go past people standing outside it waiting for either the midnight Donegal bus, the 1am Belfast bus, or the 12.20am bus to Wexford, and then try to open the doors, only to find them locked, as if anyone standing there already would be outside the bus station if it was still open!:)

wavehopper1

Two questions. Unusually for me, I got the 7.05 AM bus from Navan. The Express was a single decker, left a load of people behind in the queue at market square bus stop, then bizarrely stopped at the next stop to let one person on, leaving a line of people waiting. Is it usually a double decker?

For return today, I seem to remember there used to be an express at 6PM, but it's not marked on the time table. However, for the longest while BE wouldn't admit they had an express so I don't trust their info. Does anybody know if there's an express at 6 as well as 5.30?

Commuter109

wavehopper1 wrote: »

Two questions. Unusually for me, I got the 7.05 AM bus from Navan. The Express was a single decker, left a load of people behind in the queue at market square bus stop, then bizarrely stopped at the next stop to let one person on, leaving a line of people waiting. Is it usually a double decker?

For return today, I seem to remember there used to be an express at 6PM, but it's not marked on the time table. However, for the longest while BE wouldn't admit they had an express so I don't trust their info. Does anybody know if there's an express at 6 as well as 5.30?

This morning was a complete nightmare as far as Navan goes. I went to get on the 7.20 around 7.10 and was told it was full as the 7.05 never showed up ( I understand there are 2 7.05's in the morning so obviously one never showed.)

I waited for the second 7.20 which arrived, but it filled up leaving no space for one passenger in the square. But the real victims were those waiting at Johnstown. Obviously neither 7.20 could stop there, and by the sounds of the above post , only one person at the Johnstown stop managed to get the 7.05. So off the 4 scheduled expresses services this morning, (7.05 x 2 and 7.20 x2) , one person at the Johnstown stop managed to get on.

When the 7.20 passed it Johnstown stop this morning, there had to be in excess of 50 people waiting. Hopefully BE got something sorted quickly as if these people had to wait for the 7.35

a) there wouldnt have been capacity for everyone
b) anyone with a 9.00 start had little or no chance of making it on the 7.35

Re the return, there is only one true express service in the evening and thats the 5.30 via DP and M3. The 6.30 to Navan does use the M3 but unfortunatley goes out via Cabra

The 30 service at 6pm did serve Navan and use the Port Tunnel and some of the M3, but I believe that they took Navan and Dunsaughlin pretty much of that route (with a small number of exceptions) a number of months ago.

So my understanding is that if you're looking to go Navan at 6 these evening, you have no option but to get the slow coach via cabra, blanch slip road, clonee , dunslaughlin and old road into Navan.

wavehopper1

Commuter109 wrote: »

This morning was a complete nightmare as far as Navan goes. I went to get on the 7.20 around 7.10 and was told it was full as the 7.05 never showed up ( I understand there are 2 7.05's in the morning so obviously one never showed.)

I waited for the second 7.20 which arrived, but it filled up leaving no space for one passenger in the square. But the real victims were those waiting at Johnstown. Obviously neither 7.20 could stop there, and by the sounds of the above post , only one person at the Johnstown stop managed to get the 7.05. So off the 4 scheduled expresses services this morning, (7.05 x 2 and 7.20 x2) , one person at the Johnstown stop managed to get on.

When the 7.20 passed it Johnstown stop this morning, there had to be in excess of 50 people waiting. Hopefully BE got something sorted quickly as if these people had to wait for the 7.35

a) there wouldnt have been capacity for everyone
b) anyone with a 9.00 start had little or no chance of making it on the 7.35

Re the return, there is only one true express service in the evening and thats the 5.30 via DP and M3. The 6.30 to Navan does use the M3 but unfortunatley goes out via Cabra

The 30 service at 6pm did serve Navan and use the Port Tunnel and some of the M3, but I believe that they took Navan and Dunsaughlin pretty much of that route (with a small number of exceptions) a number of months ago.

So my understanding is that if you're looking to go Navan at 6 these evening, you have no option but to get the slow coach via cabra, blanch slip road, clonee , dunslaughlin and old road into Navan.

Many thanks for answering my question about the evening service.

I assume that one of the early buses was cancelled/broke down with subsequent knock on effect. Very little info, as usual. The Navan town stop isn't equipped to handle the queuing for simultaneous buses - it means that people who arrive last, get on first if the express is second into halting area - must drive others nuts. They should stagger them by 5 minutes.

munchkin_utd

wavehopper1 wrote: »

Many thanks for answering my question about the evening service.

I assume that one of the early buses was cancelled/broke down with subsequent knock on effect. Very little info, as usual. The Navan town stop isn't equipped to handle the queuing for simultaneous buses - it means that people who arrive last, get on first if the express is second into halting area - must drive others nuts. They should stagger them by 5 minutes.

slight tangent, but was there never a plan to build a Bus Station in Navan?
Somewhere like by the Fire Station would be a good location as the busses are straight on the road then to Kells/ Dublin not to mention Drogheda.

Armagh would be a similar (ish) type of town to Navan and they have a tidy bus station located a short walk from the tight old town street layout.
http://goo.gl/maps/qaBC6

tom23

wavehopper1 wrote: »

Many thanks for answering my question about the evening service.

I assume that one of the early buses was cancelled/broke down with subsequent knock on effect. Very little info, as usual. The Navan town stop isn't equipped to handle the queuing for simultaneous buses - it means that people who arrive last, get on first if the express is second into halting area - must drive others nuts. They should stagger them by 5 minutes.

Commuter109 wrote: »

This morning was a complete nightmare as far as Navan goes. I went to get on the 7.20 around 7.10 and was told it was full as the 7.05 never showed up ( I understand there are 2 7.05's in the morning so obviously one never showed.)

I waited for the second 7.20 which arrived, but it filled up leaving no space for one passenger in the square. But the real victims were those waiting at Johnstown. Obviously neither 7.20 could stop there, and by the sounds of the above post , only one person at the Johnstown stop managed to get the 7.05. So off the 4 scheduled expresses services this morning, (7.05 x 2 and 7.20 x2) , one person at the Johnstown stop managed to get on.

When the 7.20 passed it Johnstown stop this morning, there had to be in excess of 50 people waiting. Hopefully BE got something sorted quickly as if these people had to wait for the 7.35

a) there wouldnt have been capacity for everyone
b) anyone with a 9.00 start had little or no chance of making it on the 7.35

Re the return, there is only one true express service in the evening and thats the 5.30 via DP and M3. The 6.30 to Navan does use the M3 but unfortunatley goes out via Cabra

The 30 service at 6pm did serve Navan and use the Port Tunnel and some of the M3, but I believe that they took Navan and Dunsaughlin pretty much of that route (with a small number of exceptions) a number of months ago.

So my understanding is that if you're looking to go Navan at 6 these evening, you have no option but to get the slow coach via cabra, blanch slip road, clonee , dunslaughlin and old road into Navan.

Terrible situation this morning, just not good enough. I hoped these people sent complaints to BE and NTA.

tom23

wavehopper1 wrote: »

Many thanks for answering my question about the evening service.

I assume that one of the early buses was cancelled/broke down with subsequent knock on effect. Very little info, as usual. The Navan town stop isn't equipped to handle the queuing for simultaneous buses - it means that people who arrive last, get on first if the express is second into halting area - must drive others nuts. They should stagger them by 5 minutes.

It would drive one demented at market square, no be information, no proper queuing. Dwell time at the bus stop is horrendous especially if a bus is late and is caught between departures. It would have done the commuters from Navan the world of good to have got a train service.

We got a billion euro roadwork straight into Dublin with one true express route and the rest going into one of the busiest urban sprawls in the country to accommodate the lobby groups and transport strategy while good meaning but flawed. Sure what do we expect its taking a lifetime to get the leap card as our integrated ticket what's another decade waiting for it to kick in on bus eireann?

Fiskar

Yeah, was on the 109 this morning, bus no 2 at 7.20 am and saw the fiasco at the Ardboyne.
Those queuing there most mornings have a hit or miss with the bus. Speedy does the first bus at 7.20 (technically 7.15) and shoots off before the official BE bus, gets to the Ardboyne and picks up a dozen souls but does a seat count after 6 or so get on. All the rest remaining have to take their chance with the 2nd 109X. Not ideal at all.
BE really don't organise their schedule very well. Most people in the know avoid the 5pm return to Navan and get either 4.45pm or the 5.30 pm port tunnel (PT) flyer with speedy no 2. The 5.30 Port Tunnel 109x will get to the Ardboyne 5 to 15 mins ahead of the 5pm slow boat. They should cancel the 4.45pm and put on a second PT bus at 5pm when most of us get to Busarus but won't get on the 5pm. Consequently the 5.30 PT 109x is full (79 passengers) by 5.25pm and can set off early !

horseburger

hi

just wondering can anyone advise what time does the 109A that leaves Kells at 6.50am that also stops at Navan at 7.10am get into the airport and DCU.

I understand that in the evenings, the 109A buses that leave from Kells and Navan, there is generally no traffic delays going to the airport and DCU.


but I was wondering, if in the morning, heading to both the airport and DCU, if there are delays, perhaps when it gets to Dunshaughlin or Ratoath?

(the 109A timetable states the 6.50am from Kells gets to the airport at 8.10am and then leaves the airport at 8.20, to be at DCU at 8.30)

http://buseireann.ie/pdf/1318605105-109A.pdf

Commuter109

Fiskar wrote: »

Yeah, was on the 109 this morning, bus no 2 at 7.20 am and saw the fiasco at the Ardboyne.
Those queuing there most mornings have a hit or miss with the bus. Speedy does the first bus at 7.20 (technically 7.15) and shoots off before the official BE bus, gets to the Ardboyne and picks up a dozen souls but does a seat count after 6 or so get on. All the rest remaining have to take their chance with the 2nd 109X. Not ideal at all.
BE really don't organise their schedule very well. Most people in the know avoid the 5pm return to Navan and get either 4.45pm or the 5.30 pm port tunnel (PT) flyer with speedy no 2. The 5.30 Port Tunnel 109x will get to the Ardboyne 5 to 15 mins ahead of the 5pm slow boat. They should cancel the 4.45pm and put on a second PT bus at 5pm when most of us get to Busarus but won't get on the 5pm. Consequently the 5.30 PT 109x is full (79 passengers) by 5.25pm and can set off early !

Re the 5.30 express, haven't got it for ages but as suggested above , got it today and the queue was practically out the front door and demand outstripped supply. Not sure how many were left behind but there were at least 5 I think.

Is this an everyday occurrence ? Might be an idea to note the days it happens here and at least we could provide BE with the statistics in support of demand for real express services.

Personally a 6pm express would be ideal. Like many I work till 5.30, so a bus at that time is not an option .

malene

Anyone know why the 109N does NOT run on a sunday bank holidays? Three of us got caught on paddys weekend.

horseburger

malene wrote: »

Anyone know why the 109N does NOT run on a sunday bank holidays? Three of us got caught on paddys weekend.

Hi malene,

just wondering, were you informed that it was to be running on that night?

The 109N began in late November 2003 and has never operated on a Sunday night, only Friday and Saturday nights, except for a very short time when it started in 2003, it ran on Thursdays but that was soon stopped.

The only other time the 109N operates on certain other nights, along with Fridays and Saturdays, is in the weeks before and after Christmas.
http://buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1216&month=Nov

On every Bank Holiday weekend, for both the Sunday and Monday, the normal Bus Éireann Sunday timetable applies, which means that the last 109 from Bus Aras in 11pm.

In this link below is the details of their services on St Patrick's Day and 18th March this year.

http://buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1265&month=Mar

I don't know where your destination was, but since last October 14th, the number 30 Donegal bus at midnight from Bus Aras stops in Navan and Kells, seven nights a week, and was running on that night.


On the press archive of Bus Éireann's site,

http://buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=321

for 2012, it states that on St Patrick's Day 2012, which was a Saturday, that the Sunday services applied,

http://buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1065&month=Mar

and in 2011, which was a Thursday, the Sunday timetable applied
http://buseireann.ie/news.php?id=936&month=Mar

and also in 2010, which was a Wednesday

http://buseireann.ie/news.php?id=841&month=Mar

so it would appear that on any St Patrick's Day, no matter what day of the week it falls on, because it is a bank holiday, the Sunday services apply.

I hope the info I included may be of some help, I was just curious as to why you thought the 109N was to be running on that night.

schemingbohemia

You've already had this pas-de-deux on the previous page. I'm presuming Malene assumed without bothering her barney actually checking that there just had to be a 109N on a Sunday night because she wanted one.

horseburger

schemingbohemia wrote: »

You've already had this pas-de-deux on the previous page. I'm presuming Malene assumed without bothering her barney actually checking that there just had to be a 109N on a Sunday night because she wanted one.

Hi schemingbohemia

I just thought it would be useful to include the links on buseireann.ie, regarding alterations to the timetable on St Patricks Day in previous years, to indicate that Bus Éireann always run the Sunday timetable, on that day, and on other Bank Holidays.

regards

malene

Thanks for replies, we just assumed and then later at 3.45 a.m , while standing outside penney's , we got someone with aphone and checked and we were stuck. we ended up getting taxi to airport and waiting til 5.20 for 109A back through navan.

We probably should have checked, but we assumed that because it was a bank holiday and because pubs would be open late, that the 109N would also run on that and any sunday.

It would be a thought for B.E to coinsider. Thanks HB for detailed reply.