Bank Holiday Sunday Nitelink

Kewreeuss

June Bank Holiday, good weather, no rain, no work on monday, I fancy a late night out on Sunday in Dublin without the car.
Doh! no night link. Silly me, what was I thinking!
Can anyone say why we don't have a nightlink on this bank holiday sunday? Is it because of the overtime costs to Dublin Bus-is that the only reason?

L1011

Because the Nitelinks are unsubsidised and it wasn't making any money.

Most countries realise they benefit of subsidising night transport, we don't seem to here.

bikeman1

More like a way to keep the taxi drivers happy. One of the few big nights that they don't have to compete with the buses.

I don't believe a skeleton service on some of thebusier rroutes wouldn't make money.

AlekSmart

Kewreeuss wrote: »

June Bank Holiday, good weather, no rain, no work on monday, I fancy a late night out on Sunday in Dublin without the car.
Doh! no night link. Silly me, what was I thinking!
Can anyone say why we don't have a nightlink on this bank holiday sunday? Is it because of the overtime costs to Dublin Bus-is that the only reason?

Rather than respond to the fall-off in Nitelink business with some form of robust marketing response,Dublin Bus chose instead to reduce the level of service.

The overtime issue has not been valid for some years now,as there are drivers employed on specific Late Duty only contracts,which encompass Nitelink operations.

I would suggest that the Nitelink concept had already well run it's course,and should have been replaced by full 24 hour services on core routes by now.

However,as the OP's post demonstrates,there is both busines s and goodwill out there,accompanied by an abject reluctance to respond to it.....:rolleyes:

Victor

I went to the cinema on Friday night in Rathmines - 5 people at the 9pm showing - everyone has abandoned the city for the weekend.

Mr Simpson

Victor wrote: »

I went to the cinema on Friday night in Rathmines - 5 people at the 9pm showing - everyone has abandoned the city for the weekend.

I wouldnt say that. 9pm last night cineworld was absolutely packed.

Richard Hillman

I have always wondered if Dublin Bus and the City Nightclubs/Late Bars have ever discussed working together to get a mid week service. I have lost count of the amount of nights out that I have turned down in the City Centre due to the lack of transport home. I would have to spend roughly €25/30 on a taxi home on a non weekend night. That is more that I would spend on drinks. If there was a sole nightlink at say 2am every night then I would have ventured into the City more often. Even if they charged a non peak rate of €10 it would be worth my while going into the City Centre on a weeknight.

Even if every nightclub and late bar in D1 and D2 paid €20 euro each sunday-weeknight towards 1 bus per route to Dublin bus on a trial basis, they may increase business.


There are 18 Nitelink routes. I would say there are roughly 40 pubs and Nightclubs in the D1/D2 area (completely off the top of my head, it could be a lot more or less). 40*€20= €800. €800 off the running of 18 bus routes goes a long way, plus the fact that if you get even a meagre 10 people per route paying 5.70 each on the 18 routes you get €1026. It comes to €1826 as a conservative guess to pay towards the 18 bus routes.

I dont have a clue how much it costs to run a nitelink route but it couldn't be too far off the €101 per route that I am proposing with a conservative guess of 10 passengers per trip.

I know it shouldn't come to City pubs and clubs to try and subsidize some of the transport services but it may be beneficial on their part.

Losty Dublin

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I have always wondered if Dublin Bus and the City Nightclubs/Late Bars have ever discussed working together to get a mid week service. I have lost count of the amount of nights out that I have turned down in the City Centre due to the lack of transport home. I would have to spend roughly €25/30 on a taxi home on a non weekend night. That is more that I would spend on drinks. If there was a sole nightlink at say 2am every night then I would have ventured into the City more often. Even if they charged a non peak rate of €10 it would be worth my while going into the City Centre on a weeknight.

Even if every nightclub and late bar in D1 and D2 paid €20 euro each sunday-weeknight towards 1 bus per route to Dublin bus on a trial basis, they may increase business.


There are 18 Nitelink routes. I would say there are roughly 40 pubs and Nightclubs in the D1/D2 area (completely off the top of my head, it could be a lot more or less). 40*€20= €800. €800 off the running of 18 bus routes goes a long way, plus the fact that if you get even a meagre 10 people per route paying 5.70 each on the 18 routes you get €1026. It comes to €1826 as a conservative guess to pay towards the 18 bus routes.

I dont have a clue how much it costs to run a nitelink route but it couldn't be too far off the €101 per route that I am proposing with a conservative guess of 10 passengers per trip.

I know it shouldn't come to City pubs and clubs to try and subsidize some of the transport services but it may be beneficial on their part.

Richard, there was mid week Nitelinks at 00:30 and 02:00. They were pulled because more often they literally ran empty. And this in the day of Celtic Tiger and €5 fares!! Even today, they don't run stuffed to the brim though they generally have good loadings.

The idea you touch on, part subsidy, is interesting as it brings us to the subject of just who pays for it all; you, me or outside parties.

AlekSmart

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I have always wondered if Dublin Bus and the City Nightclubs/Late Bars have ever discussed working together to get a mid week service. I have lost count of the amount of nights out that I have turned down in the City Centre due to the lack of transport home. I would have to spend roughly €25/30 on a taxi home on a non weekend night. That is more that I would spend on drinks. If there was a sole nightlink at say 2am every night then I would have ventured into the City more often. Even if they charged a non peak rate of €10 it would be worth my while going into the City Centre on a weeknight.

I dont have a clue how much it costs to run a nitelink route but it couldn't be too far off the €101 per route that I am proposing with a conservative guess of 10 passengers per trip.

I know it shouldn't come to City pubs and clubs to try and subsidize some of the transport services but it may be beneficial on their part.

Good piece of lateral thinking Richard,and as you say it should'nt come to this.

The key element here is the lack of development of the NiteLink concept over the past twenty years.

Nitelink was a highly specific product introduced to address a highly specific,largely Public Order related issue in the City Centre.

Some will recall that NiteLink was originally a Public / Private Partnership affair with the Privates having the use of O Connell St and DB using the D'Olier Triangle.

It is also worth noting that one single private operator,Finnegan of Bray,continues to operate the service.

With the revised rostering arrangements now in place within DB,the staff-cost factor is now much reduced from the original,highly overtime based,structure.

We should now be at a place which sees a network of hourly services on core-routes such as the 4,7,16,27,46A,66,145 with added NIteLink specific support at busy periods.

Fares on these routes should be a flat maximum cash (€2.80) or €2.45 (Leap) which I suggest is realistic for Night Services anywhere.

If we were already at this point we would be laughing,however,we now have the additional and very significant problem of a Taxi sector,many of who'se members consider themselves above normal Rules & Regulations and who would doubtless react negatively to any such improvements.

Sadly,the reality is of a group of Administrators and sector management who are firmly in recession mode with a total and abject fear of attempting any initiatives which might upset the status-quo....the same Status-Quo which is slowly choking the will to win out of us all.

Victor

Potentially, only allow late licences where there are suitable public transport services.

And have all other bars close 15 minutes before last bus / have last bus 15 minutes after pubs close.