New Dublin Bus GT Class

Dravokivich

the groutch wrote: »

the new thing, at least on the 7 route, is to use the area in front of the middle doors as extra space to keep buggies.

Not all that new. On the buses that used to have middle doors, buggys were shoved into that area as well, along with bags and all manner of other stuff people might carry on.

My da can't stand people getting on with buggys himself. Seems to him they always take it as a personal insult when someone else has already taken up the spot.

Cookie_Monster

markpb wrote: »

Considering people saw the doors not being used for over twenty years, what do you expect? This isn't those peoples fault - it's entirely down to DB and the LAs.

I expect people to have the tiniest bit of common sense, obviously it's too much to expect unfortunitly.
Made all the worse by the gigantic modern buggies compared to the much more modest older ones.

Condatis

Passengers appear be hesitant about using the middle doors – particularly with people standing in the doorwell.

Ideally those who intend to disembark at the next stop will line up at those doors allowing loading to start as soon as the bus pulls into the stop.

Condatis

I boarded a #7 today in Grafton Street at 1400 hrs. The driver did not operate the centre doors. When I asked him "why not" he brushed me off.

Returning to town I boarded a #4 where the doors where used and the loading time was greatly improved.

hmmm

Condatis wrote: »

Ideally those who intend to disembark at the next stop will line up at those doors allowing loading to start as soon as the bus pulls into the stop.

And then the doors open and close at the front of the bus, and the driver pulls off while you're running down the aisle from the middle doors.

TheBandicoot

Why does it differ depending on driver? What is the official position?

Cookie_Monster

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Why does it differ depending on driver?

because they're people, not robots

What is the official position?

the NTA mandate their use and specified them in the order. DB have legacy issues with the unions on using them so don't seem bothered one way or the other with operation or enforcement.

dfx-

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Why does it differ depending on driver? What is the official position?

I was on GT8 a week ago. Middle doors used outbound, no middle doors used inbound on reverse journey:pac:

Condatis

The public address system asked passengers to alight by centre doors. I did so but they did not open. When I queried this with the driver he was just dismissive.

dublinman1990

Hiya folks, dublinmnan1990 here.

I am on hiatus at the moment, so, I give a quick reply to this thread because I am in college now.

I have been on five bus routes so far when DB were using GT's. They are as follows, Routes 1,4,7,7b and 114.

I have also seen them on other routes which I didn't use such as the 8, 33, 41, 41b, 46a, 46e (the one from blackrock), 75:eek: and the 151.

I went on GT14 while it was on the 114 on the 29th of december last. I have two photos saved of it as well.

I will attempt to upload them to my new laptop (whenever that comes in) because my new phone has bluetooth. The other laptop had a failed hard drive and Local area newtork connection for seven months. It is driving me mad. :mad:

I was also on it for the first time on Holy Thursday on the 1 and 7b. I didn't wait too long for them which was great.

They are still flying away as usual. But I don't use the middle doors as much now as before which I feel is disappointing.

See ya later. Bye

LordSutch

How sad that twenty five pages into this thread, and that blasted 'Centre Door' curse is still haunting Dublin Bus (since the 70s).

All drivers should be made to use them, with passengers entering at the front & getting off at the middle/rear doors!

End of, and no fannying around by the drivers and their whims . . . .

AlekSmart

LordSutch wrote: »

How sad that twenty five pages into this thread, and that blasted 'Centre Door' curse is still haunting Dublin Bus (since the 70s).

All drivers should be made to use them,with passengers entering at the front & getting off at the middle/rear doors!

End of, and no fannying around by the drivers and their whims.
. .

Maybe the mods could sticky this and put an end to fannying whimmery in general......:P

http://www.labourcourt.ie/labour/labcourtweb.nsf/afedb93f6ed4a54180256a01005bb357/80256a770034a2ab8025627500451c43?OpenDocument

It dates from 1992,so has had plenty of time to mature...;)

The situation at the City Centre Bus-Stops,for example,has disimproved somewhat,so I suspect the LC won't be revisiting the issue until somewhat more than 80 buses out of 800+ actually figure in the situation.

Cookie_Monster

LC can only issue recommendations anyway can't they, not actual rules so it can be discounted at this stage should the will be there. The NTA should really be monitoring the situation (since they specced and ordered them) and questioning DB on efficient use of assets if they find the doors are not in regular use. A bit of outside pressure would be good

dublinman1990

I found this news on Friday. According to this Dublinbuses.com there is 90 more GT's coming in for this year.

Here is the notice:

01/02/2013: A new order of approximately 90 GT buses is earmarked to be made for Dublin Bus in 2013, subject to approval and funding from the National Transport Authority.

Source: http://dublinbuses.com/

If this happens in a few months time it will be great news for DB passengers.

Stevek101

dublinman1990 wrote: »

I found this news on Friday. According to this Dublinbuses.com there is 90 more GT's coming in for this year.

Here is the notice:

01/02/2013: A new order of approximately 90 GT buses is earmarked to be made for Dublin Bus in 2013, subject to approval and funding from the National Transport Authority.

Source: http://dublinbuses.com/

If this happens in a few months time it will be great news for DB passengers.

The tender that went out is for up to 90 from the beginning of 2014, along with some tri-axles.

AlekSmart

It's worth noting that the 2013 order looks to be a mirror of 2012's with delivery of 80 further GT's due to commence in August.

There is still a degree of debate on the configuration,however the 80 new GT's will be dual-door.

The NTA is keen to have the experimental extra buggy-space now made standard,but a degree of discussion is ongoing from the perspective of the interpretation of the Equal Status Act 2000 in relation to Disabled Access.

The new order will incorporate some modifcations based upon experience gained with GT's 1-80 with the most noticable being replacement of the double seat directly behind the stairs with a single seat to aid powered wheelchair manouverability.

There is also a continuing commitment (subject to funding) to refurbish all the 2004/2005 registered DD fleet this year.

The news is welcome evidence that the NTA and DB are looking to the future in some small way,as at some point this depression will lift,perhaps not quite as Micheal Noonan sez, "like a rocket",but some preparedness for expansion is good to have in place ?

dfx-

Stevek101 wrote: »

The tender that went out is for up to 90 from the beginning of 2014, along with some tri-axles.

Hopefully VTs or are they 'discontinued'?

Stevek101

AlekSmart wrote: »

It's worth noting that the 2013 order looks to be a mirror of 2012's with delivery of 80 further GT's due to commence in August.

No tender for this order like last year, or is it an extension of the previous tender from 2012?

dfx- wrote: »

Hopefully VTs or are they 'discontinued'?

http://www.mytenders.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB404971

The VT class Enviro 500 is still on offer however there is a minimum order of 50 vehicles, as far as I remember. Up to 30 is what is specified in the tender. I'd say we'd be more likely to see tri-axle GT Gemini style buses if we are to see any.

lucernarian

dfx- wrote: »

Hopefully VTs or are they 'discontinued'?

I'm hoping many of the damn things can find new owners as soon as possible. I'm sick of waiting 5 minutes just to leave O'Connell St because of the lack of double doors making it kinda difficult to allow 50 people get off the bus quickly. I'm also sick of the various quirks of the Donnybrook VTs in particular which seem to have constant problems with the smartcard validator and one of them which I seem to board all the time, VT6 or VT16 is it? which generates a fine roar every single time the bus is idling. I could forgive the other problems I have with them but the lack of double doors could make me weep with frustration when I'm in a hurry.

dublinman1990

I was in a taxi to my local medical clinic yesterday for an appointment.

To my amazement, I had seen GT1 on the 47 route to Fleet Street on the Strand Road in Sandymount at 3:30PM yesterday.

It was a great surprise to see it.

dfx-

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

I'm hoping many of the damn things can find new owners as soon as possible. I'm sick of waiting 5 minutes just to leave O'Connell St because of the lack of double doors making it kinda difficult to allow 50 people get off the bus quickly. I'm also sick of the various quirks of the Donnybrook VTs in particular which seem to have constant problems with the smartcard validator and one of them which I seem to board all the time, VT6 or VT16 is it? which generates a fine roar every single time the bus is idling. I could forgive the other problems I have with them but the lack of double doors could make me weep with frustration when I'm in a hurry.

VT5 is the only one that is really bad with vibrations when stopped. Such that you can't hold a conversation across the aisle. VT16 would be similar. But really considering the workload that batch of 20 buses have had since new (pretty much devoted to a very high load and flagship route), they've done very well. There are some exceptional machines there with VT2, VT9, VT12 or VT20

Can't imagine the EVs, ALX400s or these GT things doing remotely as well.

LXFlyer

dublinman1990 wrote: »

I was in a taxi to my local medical clinic yesterday for an appointment.

To my amazement, I had seen GT1 on the 47 route to Fleet Street on the Strand Road in Sandymount at 3:30PM yesterday.

It was a great surprise to see it.

Why exactly is it amazing and surprising to find a Donnybrook based bus operating a Donnybrook route?

It is hardly as if the GTs have stuck rigidly to certain routes.

lucernarian

dfx- wrote: »

VT5 is the only one that is really bad with vibrations when stopped. Such that you can't hold a conversation across the aisle. VT16 would be similar. But really considering the workload that batch of 20 buses have had since new (pretty much devoted to a very high load and flagship route), they've done very well. There are some exceptional machines there with VT2, VT9, VT12 or VT20

Can't imagine the EVs, ALX400s or these GT things doing remotely as well.

It must be VT16 so. I wouldn't mind noises if I got to where I was going quickly but such large buses with only the one set of doors makes for some very frustrating journeys in the evenings especially. That failing is a major one, one which is thankfully avoided with the GTs (even if the middle doors are not always used). The screens that the GTs have does make it much easier for visitors to use the bus service and it helps cut out all those times that someone boards and spends a minute with the driver just to find out how to get to Monkstown or UCD etc. A tri-axle variant of the GT would be a nice prospect.

Trebor176

A GT on the 47 isn't that unusual. Sure, Donnybrook ar spreading them out well, and they have appeared on most routes from there. There were three GTs on the 11 on Sunday, which is very strange. Harristown as well seem to spread them out a good bit too, and tend to use them on Euros. For example, I had the great fortune of getting GT48 on the 70 the other morning. By the way, the centre doors seemed to be used a good bit. And they were needed, considering the bus was jammed!

starviewadams

Got a fancy looking leaflet in the door today (in Irish and English) from Dublin Bus extolling the virtues of free wifi and enhanced security on the new GT's for the 151 route.

Thought it was a bit odd seeing as I live at Newlands X,and the closest 151 stop to here is a good 30 minute walk down beside the 9th Lock!

pclive

Did it mention anything on the leaflet about using the rear doors on exiting?