New service from Fermanagh to Dublin (via Cavan)

gazzer

Anybody know much about this bus service? It would be great for people commuting from Cavan Town or Virginia. No more having to go through Kells or Navan and it uses the Port Tunnel and M3

http://www.lakescity.ie/timetables.html

stop

gazzer wrote: »

Anybody know much about this bus service? It would be great for people commuting from Cavan Town or Virginia. No more having to go through Kells or Navan and it uses the Port Tunnel and M3

http://www.lakescity.ie/timetables.html

Interesting, operated by McGeehans, wonder if Bus Eireann & McGeehans are still operating BE route 30 or changes planned?

_Kaiser_

Not bad! Dublin City Centre to Virginia in 90 mins. I used to do it driving in just under that from Fairview.

gazzer

Its about time there was service that uses the M3 and Port Tunnel from Cavan to the City Centre without having to go to the Airport.

gazzer

Anybody use this service yet?

iverjohnston

my wife has been using the 109 from Cavan to Dublin for the last number of years, since Streamline was forced off the route. The grief on the 109 is incredible, there is on attention to timetable, detours to Kells despite there being a separate Kells bus, and people travelling without tickets etc, taking up two seats with bags etc, drivers unwilling to take any action etc..t
The one good driver who always arrived on time was reported by a little old lady for speeding!
Wife was on the Lakescity this week and its full, the 109 almost empty yesterday.

currins_02

Just double checking the time table clearly states this service DOES NOT use the Tunnel into the city, on inbound routes it uses M3/N3/Navan Road/Parnell Square/Beresford Place. The outbound route is clearly marked as Parnell Square (Cavendish Row)/Beresford Place/Tunnel/M50/M3. Just to be clear on that.

Hope it does well and the competition is to be welcomed.

gazzer

currins_02 wrote: »

Just double checking the time table clearly states this service DOES NOT use the Tunnel into the city, on inbound routes it uses M3/N3/Navan Road/Parnell Square/Beresford Place. The outbound route is clearly marked as Parnell Square (Cavendish Row)/Beresford Place/Tunnel/M50/M3. Just to be clear on that.

Hope it does well and the competition is to be welcomed.

I dont mind the fact it uses M3/N3/Navan Road/Parnell Square/Beresford Place on the way into town because most of that route is bus lane anyway. It was always the trip home that was a nightmare because the 109 goes the same way home.

Hopefully this new service will be a huge success and might give Bus Eireann the kick up the ass it needs with its 109 service to Cavan

gazzer

iverjohnston wrote: »

my wife has been using the 109 from Cavan to Dublin for the last number of years, since Streamline was forced off the route. The grief on the 109 is incredible, there is on attention to timetable, detours to Kells despite there being a separate Kells bus, and people travelling without tickets etc, taking up two seats with bags etc, drivers unwilling to take any action etc..t
The one good driver who always arrived on time was reported by a little old lady for speeding!
Wife was on the Lakescity this week and its full, the 109 almost empty yesterday.

Do you know if there is only the one bus that goes from Dublin at 5.15 and 5.45 or do they have a back up bus in case the first one is full?

LXFlyer

gazzer wrote: »

Its about time there was service that uses the M3 and Port Tunnel from Cavan to the City Centre without having to go to the Airport.

It's sort of ironic that people are now complaining about coaches serving the airport.

gazzer

lxflyer wrote: »

It's sort of ironic that people are now complaining about coaches serving the airport.

Dont get me wrong. There should be a proper Airport Service but if you are lucky enough to get on the 7.30am bus from Virginia on a weekday morning the last thing you want to do is to have to go to the Airport before you get into the city.

Its rediculous that there is not a 109 Bus Eireann Service that goes Cavan - Virginia - M3 - Dublin City and a Return that goes Dublin City - Port Tunnel - M3 - Virginia - Cavan.

For the amount of 109's that go to Navan and Kells at peak time (every 15 minutes) could Bus Eireann not put on a Shuttle Service bus from Kells to Virginia also.

iverjohnston

The 10am 109 breaking down on the roundabout, twenty meters from the bus office in Cavan this morning didn't help their reputation. one minute into the journey, the driver refused to open the doors, despite smoke entering the passenger area. If said protocol prevented him opening the doors, even though most passengers were elderly and heading for hospital appointments. After a few minutes if relented and opened the doors. There was a spare bus at the station, but the driver was having a cup of tea, so it did not depart till 10.30

gazzer

iverjohnston wrote: »

The 10am 109 breaking down on the roundabout, twenty meters from the bus office in Cavan this morning didn't help their reputation. one minute into the journey, the driver refused to open the doors, despite smoke entering the passenger area. If said protocol prevented him opening the doors, even though most passengers were elderly and heading for hospital appointments. After a few minutes if relented and opened the doors. There was a spare bus at the station, but the driver was having a cup of tea, so it did not depart till 10.30

Not the first time this has happened. The last 2 times I went to get an evening bus from Cavan to Dublin (7pm). The bus broke down before it left the station and a mechanic had to be called out.

LXFlyer

iverjohnston wrote: »

The 10am 109 breaking down on the roundabout, twenty meters from the bus office in Cavan this morning didn't help their reputation. one minute into the journey, the driver refused to open the doors, despite smoke entering the passenger area. If said protocol prevented him opening the doors, even though most passengers were elderly and heading for hospital appointments. After a few minutes if relented and opened the doors. There was a spare bus at the station, but the driver was having a cup of tea, so it did not depart till 10.30

Without knowing the road layout, I'd imagine that letting people out on a roundabout unsupervised would not be particularly safe.

The second driver may have been driving for some time beforehand and as such is legally obliged to take a break.

_Kaiser_

iverjohnston wrote: »

The 10am 109 breaking down on the roundabout, twenty meters from the bus office in Cavan this morning didn't help their reputation. one minute into the journey, the driver refused to open the doors, despite smoke entering the passenger area. If said protocol prevented him opening the doors, even though most passengers were elderly and heading for hospital appointments. After a few minutes if relented and opened the doors. There was a spare bus at the station, but the driver was having a cup of tea, so it did not depart till 10.30

Official complaint needed there. Putting passengers at risk with smoke entering the cabin??

For future reference, there should be a manual override switch beside the door. I'd have used that and feck him.

iverjohnston

The smoke was from the clutch. Which surprised me, as I thought they had auto boxes.
driver could not make contact with cavan bus office, despite being less than a bus lenght from the building.

horseburger

gazzer wrote: »

Dont get me wrong. There should be a proper Airport Service but if you are lucky enough to get on the 7.30am bus from Virginia on a weekday morning the last thing you want to do is to have to go to the Airport before you get into the city.

Its rediculous that there is not a 109 Bus Eireann Service that goes Cavan - Virginia - M3 - Dublin City and a Return that goes Dublin City - Port Tunnel - M3 - Virginia - Cavan.

For the amount of 109's that go to Navan and Kells at peak time (every 15 minutes) could Bus Eireann not put on a Shuttle Service bus from Kells to Virginia also.

Are you referring to the number 30 bus from Donegal at 5am that's due in Virginia at 7.25am?

None of the 109s go to the airport and there is a 109 which leaves Cavan at 7am, also due in Virginia at 7.25am for Dublin.

I think the number 30 is a great service, it is excellent that we can get a bus at midnight from Dublin City Centre which also picks up at the airport.

LXFlyer

horseburger wrote: »

Are you referring to the number 30 bus from Donegal at 5am that's due in Virginia at 7.25am?

None of the 109s go to the airport and there is a 109 which leaves Cavan at 7am, also due in Virginia at 7.25am for Dublin.

I think the number 30 is a great service, it is excellent that we can get a bus at midnight from Dublin City Centre which also picks up at the airport.

More to the point - that 109 at 07:25 goes on to Kells and then via the M3 to Dublin.

horseburger

lxflyer wrote: »

More to the point - that 109 at 07:25 goes on to Kells and then via the M3 to Dublin.

Perhaps Bus Éireann bring this bus through Kells for 7.45am because they have a good number of people in Kells who take it, considering they also have another 109 that starts in Kells at 7.45am

I guess they found that there's enough people in Kells going to Dublin at this time, to have two buses leaving Kells at this time, to justify bringing the 7am from Cavan through Kells.

LXFlyer

horseburger wrote: »

Perhaps Bus Éireann bring this bus through Kells for 7.45am because they have a good number of people in Kells who take it, considering they also have another 109 that starts in Kells at 7.45am

I guess they found that there's enough people in Kells going to Dublin at this time, to have two buses leaving Kells at this time, to justify bringing the 7am from Cavan through Kells.

Presumbably it offers a connection for anyone who wishes to go to Navan?

horseburger

lxflyer wrote: »

Presumbably it offers a connection for anyone who wishes to go to Navan?

yes, the 7.45am 109 that begins in Kells goes to Navan for 8.05am and Dunshaughlin for 8.25am

foggy_lad

lxflyer wrote: »

It's sort of ironic that people are now complaining about coaches serving the airport.

Proper commuter services should not really be serving the airport.

lxflyer wrote: »

Without knowing the road layout, I'd imagine that letting people out on a roundabout unsupervised would not be particularly safe.

Suffocating them and yourself in a bus filling with smoke might not be particularly safe either.

horseburger

foggy_lad wrote: »

Proper commuter services should not really be serving the airport.

Suffocating them and yourself in a bus filling with smoke might not be particularly safe either.

In fairness, I think the comment was a response to someone who mentioned about getting a bus in Virginia at 7.30am who was unhappy that it goes to the airport first, before Dublin City Centre.

It wasn't specified which bus this is, but I think that this is most likely the 5am number 30 bus from Donegal to Dublin, due in Virginia at 7.25am.

There'd likely be lots of people on that bus for the airport from the various towns on the route.

There is also an hourly 109 service from Cavan to Dublin and return that covers Virginia, including one that leaves Cavan at 7am and is due in Virginia, also at 7.25am, which goes to Kells, then on to Dublin, and does not go to the airport.

iverjohnston

Surprisingly, the bus from Cavan which goes via the airport took only 10minutes longer to arrive at Busaras than the usual 109.
However the last time I got it, the Tannoy system was out of sync. Causing a minor panic when leaving Cavan, it suddenly announced that the next destination was Donegal town!

Geog1234

The LakesCity route 950 is a very welcome development. McGeehan Coaches have had a longstanding presence on the Donegal - Cavan - Dublin corridor stretching back years before the more recent partnership with BÉ. Clearly this service shows a very good understanding of local user needs.

As for the 109 given it is a subsidised service (though in general one of - if not the best used subsidised routes in the country) it will always be hard to juggle the various and sometimes conflicting user needs. A majority are travelling to/from the city centre but there's also good Co. Cavan-Co. Meath usage - (without even mentioning the very high number of student users inbound to Cavan Institute) and more localised usage. The 109 even gets a bit of usage between the station/stops within the Cavan town urban area - essentially making it a town service there in everything but name.

Navan is the largest town on the 109 route by a considerable margin and there is both commuter and leisure usage of the 109 between County Cavan and Meath - predominantly Navan. Navan is also the interchange point for Drogheda (the 109 from Cavan arrives at Navan Square at xx:05 hourly & the route 188 to Drogheda departs at xx:20 every two hours).

It's good now that for €19.50 on Leapcard it's possible to have a day's unlimited bus travel (Bus Éireann stage carriage/commuter routes) around Cavan, Meath, Dublin & Louth.

gazzer

According to their Facebook page the Lakes City service to and from Dublin stopped operating on 25th November

It a pity. I used it a few times and it was a great service. Back to the long arduous BE service to Cavan now.

iverjohnston

It was great, but not enough people were using it to make it viable. Apparently costing ten thousand a week to provide, and they needed sufficient numbers to turn a profit, but this wasn't happening. a great pity.

L1011

The one I saw seemed to have an OK loading on it, but that was a peak evening Friday service; that alone won't cover a service.

LXFlyer

Gosh it only lasted over a month - not very long at all.

iverjohnston

If you get any 109 from Cavan after 9am, about half of all passengers are on free travel passes . Regular travelers would recognize a number people who go daily to Dublin to hand out religious tracts and to busk, etc.

LXFlyer

gazzer wrote: »

I dont mind the fact it uses M3/N3/Navan Road/Parnell Square/Beresford Place on the way into town because most of that route is bus lane anyway. It was always the trip home that was a nightmare because the 109 goes the same way home.

Hopefully this new service will be a huge success and might give Bus Eireann the kick up the ass it needs with its 109 service to Cavan

gazzer wrote: »

According to their Facebook page the Lakes City service to and from Dublin stopped operating on 25th November

It a pity. I used it a few times and it was a great service. Back to the long arduous BE service to Cavan now.

Well it would appear from this news that there isn't really a sufficient market for such a service. That's why Bus Eireann take the route that they do - it offers the potential for getting more backsides on seats.