Dublin Buses removed from timetables over the summer?

CaoimheSquee

A driver announced the above on the 84X (had to get off 145 and get this as the 145 was so late - again!) to us this morning as people were asking why the wait times for buses had got so bad over the last week.

I had noticed a huge reduction in 145's at rush hour and much longer journey times myself but hoped it was just a very very short term thing. However from speaking with people on different routes it would appear to be across the board.

We are back again tot he days of pot luck getting a place on the full buses at rush hour and long waits again - just because the kids are off school?

Madness! (unless I am missing a very logical reason??)

coylemj

Yes, a summer timetable cut in on June 15th and will last until August 21st, some reductions on certain routes Mon-Fri ......

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/General-News/Introduction-of-Summer-Timetables/

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

Madness! (unless I am missing a very logical reason??)

Ok now this may sound totally off the wall but I'm guessing that some drivers and maintenance crew have families and want to go on holidays and that more of them prefer to go in the summer than the winter.

CaoimheSquee

coylemj wrote: »

Yes, a summer timetable cut in on June 15th and will last until August 21st, some reductions on certain routes Mon-Fri ......

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/General-News/Introduction-of-Summer-Timetables/


Ok now this may sound totally off the wall but I'm guessing that some drivers and maintenance crew have families and want to go on holidays and that more of them prefer to go in the summer than the winter.

As is the case for all organisations. And they arrange cover. Why can't Dublin bus? They provide a public service paid for by the public!
Or different rules again for the lads?

cython

coylemj wrote: »

Yes, a summer timetable cut in on June 15th and will last until August 21st, some reductions on certain routes Mon-Fri ......

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/General-News/Introduction-of-Summer-Timetables/



Ok now this may sound totally off the wall but I'm guessing that some drivers and maintenance crew have families and want to go on holidays and that more of them prefer to go in the summer than the winter.

Not to mention a reduction in volumes of people actually commuting with post-primary schools and third-level students off, as well as primary schools finishing up within a couple of weeks of same......

LXFlyer

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

A driver announced the above on the 84X (had to get off 145 and get this as the 145 was so late - again!) to us this morning as people were asking why the wait times for buses had got so bad over the last week.

I had noticed a huge reduction in 145's at rush hour and much longer journey times myself but hoped it was just a very very short term thing. However from speaking with people on different routes it would appear to be across the board.

We are back again tot he days of pot luck getting a place on the full buses at rush hour and long waits again - just because the kids are off school?

Madness! (unless I am missing a very logical reason??)

There is nowhere near the same level of demand during the summer months during the morning peak hour due to the schools being off and people taking holidays.

There are a number of extra buses on the 145 during the school/college terms, and these are all suspended for the summer and the standard timetable applies. They will return in late August.

Other routes have special summer timetables that have frequency reductions:
http://dublinbus.ie/en/News-Centre/General-News/Introduction-of-Summer-Timetables/

Running the full service would just mean buses going around half-empty and effectively costing you and I money for nothing. The company is trying to keep costs down and match the service to the demand.

The LUAS works in the city centre are not helping journey times at all unfortunately.

CaoimheSquee

lxflyer wrote: »

There is nowhere near the same level of demand during the summer months during the morning peak hour due to the schools being off and people taking holidays.

The 145 extras are all suspended for the summer and the standard timetable applies.

Other routes have special summer timetables that have frequency reductions.

Running the full service would just mean buses going around half-empty and effectively costing you and I money for nothing.

The LUAS works in the city centre are not helping journey times at all unfortunately.

Well the buses are still full by cabinteely and donnybrook.
That's just my example though, really nothing should surprise me at this stage!
i just wanted to check it was actually true, thanks for answering!

LXFlyer

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

Well the buses are still full by cabinteely and donnybrook.
That's just my example though, really nothing should surprise me at this stage!
i just wanted to check it was actually true, thanks for answering!

This is nothing new - extra works have always been cut back during the summer school holidays.


The full summer schedules first came in last year.

AlekSmart

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

As is the case for all organisations. And they arrange cover. Why can't Dublin bus? They provide a public service paid for by the public!
Or different rules again for the lads?

I'm afraid you're quite incorrect,there are no different rules for anybody....Lads or otherwise.

The Summer Schedules reflect the significant drop in demand when School and College Pupils AND Staff are on their holidays.

This year in particular is seeing a significant upswing in general demand for Bus Services,which the NTA in particular,appears to have been unprepared for.

Given that it is tha NTA who are paying for services it may be worth contacting them and making your views known,it would also be worthwhile canvassing any friends/colleagues with a view to submitting a shared complaint.

https://www.transportforireland.ie/help-and-contact/

cdebru

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

As is the case for all organisations. And they arrange cover. Why can't Dublin bus? They provide a public service paid for by the public!
Or different rules again for the lads?

Less demand during summer months, thousands of school children, third level students, teachers, lecturers, as well as other people on their summer holidays means you don't need as many buses so it makes sense to reduce services then.

But just for your information most bus drivers don't get their holidays in July and August, they follow a rota that runs from the start of April to end of September, they take turns at getting holidays no different rules for the "lads" everyone is entitled to annual holidays and it makes sense to get as much of it out of the way when demand is less.

dfx-

CaoimheSquee wrote: »

Well the buses are still full by cabinteely and donnybrook.
That's just my example though, really nothing should surprise me at this stage!
i just wanted to check it was actually true, thanks for answering!

They will be getting fuller earlier soon with new bus arrivals. I'd be glad with what you have at the moment as the NTA will be soon forcing you and thousands of others onto lower capacity buses on the N11 corridor, by all accounts.

ticklemetoe

dfx- wrote: »

They will be getting fuller earlier soon with new bus arrivals. I'd be glad with what you have at the moment as the NTA will be soon forcing you and thousands of others onto lower capacity buses on the N11 corridor, by all accounts.

part of master plan, got to make those routes put out to tender look good.
you will be shown stats to prove tendering is working, i.e. passengers are regularly left behind by db, they are not doing a good job, but the tendered routes always have capacity for more,they are well run, lets give them the 46a and 145 routes. off course the vt's will be put back on these routes when this happens.

LXFlyer

dfx- wrote: »

They will be getting fuller earlier soon with new bus arrivals. I'd be glad with what you have at the moment as the NTA will be soon forcing you and thousands of others onto lower capacity buses on the N11 corridor, by all accounts.

Let's wait and see what actually happens before jumping to conclusions.