What is the point of the No. 45 bus?

coylemj

Today I drove the full length of Clonkeen Road from the N11 (Dunnes Stores) to Deansgrange Cross behind a 45 bus. All told the bus passed four bus stops on Clonkeen Road where there was not one single passenger waiting and as I turned left to drive up Kill Lane I could see that there was nobody waiting at the bus stop at Grange Motors either. That means that in a relatively densely populated residential area, the bus passed five consecutive bus stops and didn't pick up a single passenger, talk about voting with your feet.

DB, please scrap this useless service. It doesn't even go all the way into town anymore, it terminates in Merrion Square. No wonder nobody uses it.

Rant over.

KD345

The route is still very busy at peak times. It's not uncommon to have a full bus during school term.

thomasj

coylemj wrote: »

Today I drove the full length of Clonkeen Road from the N11 (Dunnes Stores) to Deansgrange Cross behind a 45 bus. All told the bus passed four bus stops on Clonkeen Road where there was not one single passenger waiting and as I turned left to drive up Kill Lane I could see that there was nobody waiting at the bus stop at Grange Motors either. That means that in a relatively densely populated residential area, the bus passed five consecutive bus stops and didn't pick up a single passenger, talk about voting with your feet.

DB, please scrap this useless service. It doesn't even go all the way into town anymore, it terminates in Merrion Square. No wonder nobody uses it.

Rant over.

In fairness op, just because you drove up the road at that time doesnt neccessarily mean the route runs empty all day.

The weather conditions may have also played a roll in lack of passengers on that road.

But otherwise i agree with you op, the biggest mistake made in deciding the route was the initial cutback to blackrock (not implemented) then rds, then merrion square. IT SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST RUN TO AND FROM PEARSE STREET LIKE THE 47! With the way the 4s and 7s have gone it could have been a successful route.

It makes me wonder in leaving the terminus at merrion square did they deliberately go about to destroy the route or is it that they are they out of touch from reality of what the publoc really want?

the groutch

in it's hayday the 45 ran as frequently as every 15 minutes, a total of 55 journeys in each direction.
then a few years ago they cut it to 35, and soon after 25. so now there's at least 40 minutes between buses.
it's been rendered almost useless for anyone who can walk from the N11 down, with the frequency of the 145 making it the bus of choice.

the only reason the 45 is even still alive is the schools along it's route, and there's talk of amalgamating it with the 84 and terminating in Blackrock.

HereinBray

Well as someone who lives a 25 minute walk from the DART station - or has to be reliant on a bus that runs perhaps once per hour (185) - the 45 is handy for me as I work on the Merrion Road.

Otherwise I have to trek to the DART or else walk 15minutes to the Dublin Road and then have another 15/20 minute walk from the N11 after an hour on a bus. At least on the 45; once I hit the Merrion Road I'm there.

The Rock Road onwards into the City Center is not serviced at all by any Bray buses anymore except for the 45.

Not everyone in Bray lives close to the DART line nor has an easy way to get there.

In my office - it's easier for the people to get into town from Kildare town than it is from the outskirts of Bray!!!

AlekSmart

HereinBray wrote: »

Well as someone who lives a 25 minute walk from the DART station - or has to be reliant on a bus that runs perhaps once per hour (185) - the 45 is handy for me as I work on the Merrion Road.

Otherwise I have to trek to the DART or else walk 15minutes to the Dublin Road and then have another 15/20 minute walk from the N11 after an hour on a bus. At least on the 45; once I hit the Merrion Road I'm there.

The Rock Road onwards into the City Center is not serviced at all by any Bray buses anymore except for the 45.

Not everyone in Bray lives close to the DART line nor has an easy way to get there.

In my office - it's easier for the people to get into town from Kildare town than it is from the outskirts of Bray!!!

Well thewn HereinBray,you need to rapidly get onto the Dublin Bus Network Direct office and familiarize yourself with the plans for there in Bray.

I would suggest calling 018734222 also and asking to speak to somebody with knowledge of the plans,because I suspect they will NOT appeal to you one little bit !!! :eek:

Goonerette

Using Merrion Square as the terminus was a really idiotic decision. My heart sinks every time I'm waiting for the 4/7 and I see a bus coming only to realise it's the wretched 45. Why oh why, DB?

coylemj

KD345 wrote: »

The route is still very busy at peak times. It's not uncommon to have a full bus during school term.

Then run it at peak times only like lots of other routes, I don't see why they bother running it in the middle of the day when clearly hardly anyone uses it.

BenShermin

coylemj wrote: »

KD345 wrote: »

The route is still very busy at peak times. It's not uncommon to have a full bus during school term.

Then run it at peak times only like lots of other routes, I don't see why they bother running it in the middle of the day when clearly hardly anyone uses it.

Or else run the route to/from Parnell Square to make it more attractive to passengers!

dublinman1990

The last time I used the 45 bus was in Late September. The bus was full because it was in the peak periods. I was going from Blackrock to Stradbrook. The bus used was an AV.

In May 2011, I went on two 45's within 4 days from Newtownpark Junction to the RDS. Both of them were nearly full, this was during the mornings. The buses used were VT's.

At around August, I was waiting for the no.4 towards Monkstown Avenue opposite Frascati Centre in Blackrock. Two 45's came within 10 minutes of each other, which I found highly unusual because of the timetable.

The point I am trying to make at especially at peak periods is that the passengers are highly dependent for the 45 at these times of the day.

They have indicated making changes again in Spring 2012. Changes are coming down the line on the 45A from Dún Laoghaire.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Network-Direct/Network-Direct---Implemented-Phases/Merrion-Road/

Vincent Vega

Eternal dilemma:
In Cabinteely, running quite late getting into City Centre, 45 arriving.
Take it, with it's glorified 7esque(which i crossed the dual carraigeway to avoid having to deal with. it's closer to me) route with the fall before the finish line ending at Merrion Sq... or chance my arm waiting a few mins more for a 145?

coylemj

Vincent Vega wrote: »

Eternal dilemma:
In Cabinteely, running quite late getting into City Centre, 45 arriving.
Take it, with it's glorified 7esque(which i crossed the dual carraigeway to avoid having to deal with. it's closer to me) route with the fall before the finish line ending at Merrion Sq... or chance my arm waiting a few mins more for a 145?

Buy a Travel90 ticket, get the 145 and get off at any stop after Foxrock Church, change to the 46A and the world is your oyster!

CIE

coylemj wrote: »

Today I drove the full length of Clonkeen Road from the N11 (Dunnes Stores) to Deansgrange Cross behind a 45 bus. All told the bus passed four bus stops on Clonkeen Road where there was not one single passenger waiting and as I turned left to drive up Kill Lane I could see that there was nobody waiting at the bus stop at Grange Motors either. That means that in a relatively densely populated residential area, the bus passed five consecutive bus stops and didn't pick up a single passenger, talk about voting with your feet.

DB, please scrap this useless service. It doesn't even go all the way into town anymore, it terminates in Merrion Square. No wonder nobody uses it.

Rant over.

It's been a mere three years since the 45 still ran every 15 minutes during the better part of the day, and a mere two years since they cut it so badly. And the thinking has gone to "scrap" the entire service rather than re-institute the former service? That's what the government wants you to say. How does it feel having the government mould your thinking for you? They did it in such a short period of time, too.

Looks like the slogan "Serving the entire community" has gotten just a bit hollow. If the people don't remind the government that the power still rests with the people, the government will happily take it away from you.

Buy a Travel90 ticket, get the 145 and get off at any stop after Foxrock Church, change to the 46A

...and extend your journey by a possible 30 minutes. As well as run the risk of getting rained on, depending on the day.

sparklicous

You're absolutely right. Make the service unusable and unreliable and people will have no choice but to make alternative travel arrangements. In memory of this fine bus service there is now a Twitter account: @theghostofthe45

It had to be done.