How reliable/punctual is the 202 bus service?

mydiscworld

Just been offered a job in Cork. It's been years since I used the bus service.

Had a look at the 202 timetable. Supposedly every 15mins in the mornings and evenings.

But my abiding memory from 10 years ago is the timetable was a joke and buses were often late or didn't turn up at all. Has this service been improved lately?

I see there are now real time apps for this route so that will be a big help.

How long would it take from say AIB Ballintemple to Merchant's Quay, and vice versa, during commuter traffic say 8am and 5.30?

How packed are the buses during these times?
They are still single deck and you don't need correct change, so I imagine that can hold them up and mean they are packed at rush hour?

searching the sun

Bus timetables have become more reliable, but not for all the buses yet. It has improved a lot in last two years though.
Nr 202 bus is quite alright on off-peak times, but i wouldn't trust it too much on the times you asked. Count on 20 minutes drive at these times and just in case take a bus earlier than you normally would. At least til you work out a pattern of which buses are more likely to be late.

There is also nr 215 bus that runs from Mahon Point to city centre and onwards to Blarney.
If that stops anywhere near you i would recommend that one instead as it seems to be much more reliable (even though its every 30 minutes)

The real time apps don't yet work as well as they are supposed to. Every now and then there seem to be phantom buses that are 5 minutes away, then 4 minutes...3 minutes... and then suddenly they disappear from the list...
Also it happens that the time jumps from 3 minutes to 10min or vice versa.

BUT they are getting better.

Milly33

We live in Ballintemple and the bus in fairness runs pretty well. I would think of course try to aim for an earlier bus just to make sure you are on time for work and to expect a small delay as with any bus but other than that think tis the job. It stops just outside the Aib.. With school traffic I would think it would take max 20mins on a bad bad day

Faith

searching the sun wrote: »

There is also nr 215 bus that runs from Mahon Point to city centre and onwards to Blarney.
If that stops anywhere near you i would recommend that one instead as it seems to be much more reliable (even though its every 30 minutes)

I agree with the rest of your post, but the 215 is a DISASTER in my experience. It's chronically late and poorly timed. I lived in an area between the 202 and the 215 services and I always got the 202 where possible.

searching the sun

Faith wrote: »

I agree with the rest of your post, but the 215 is a DISASTER in my experience. It's chronically late and poorly timed. I lived in an area between the 202 and the 215 services and I always got the 202 where possible.

Hmm, okay, its been some months since i used 215, i used it all the time when it first came out as i worked on that bus route. Good to know:)

pwurple

Faith wrote: »

I agree with the rest of your post, but the 215 is a DISASTER in my experience. It's chronically late and poorly timed. I lived in an area between the 202 and the 215 services and I always got the 202 where possible.

+1, the 215 is brutal. I can get either from where I live, and we always go for the 202. Much more frequent and reliable. The 215 can be early, late and everything in between. I've been waiting nearly an hour for a bus which is supposed to be every 30 mins. The 202, at least if you miss one, it's only 10ish mins til the next.

That being said, on busy days, like St Patricks day or a bank holiday, you will see them sail past people completely full. They never put on extra buses for busier days in Cork.

Milly33

without giving too much info (if you want i can send my number on once your not a ceral killer) if you ever get stuck wen-fri ill be heading into victoria road from Ballintemple just i cant say i will be dead on time.. sometime around 9

Barr

Long-time user of the 202 here - never any issue with it. Very regular and punctual in my experience.

outsourced_ire

Barr wrote: »

Long-time user of the 202 here - never any issue with it. Very regular and punctual in my experience.

+1

It's very reliable. It has slightly restored my faith in bus eireann after many years of horror stories with the number 5 (now 205) bus!

ncur

Yes, I use both 202 and 205 fairly often and the 202 is absolutely fine, the 205 is very hit and miss.

sweirdo

Speaking if: How reliable is the 221 into Cork at 7 am? I'd have to take that one and then transfer to the 202 at Merchants Quay. Are 5 minutes usually enough transfer time?

Frostybrew

sweirdo wrote: »

Speaking if: How reliable is the 221 into Cork at 7 am? I'd have to take that one and then transfer to the 202 at Merchants Quay. Are 5 minutes usually enough transfer time?

221 would be fine at 7am. Gets patchy later in the day though. Depending on the lights it's only a 1 to 2 minute walk to the 202 stop.

sweirdo

Frostybrew wrote: »

221 would be fine at 7am. Gets patchy later in the day though. Depending on the lights it's only a 1 to 2 minute walk to the 202 stop.

Ah, grand so. It's really the first one I'd need, the others would be too late anyways. Thanks, that's eased my mind a bit.