Dublin Bus City Centre Fare

howiya

Does this operate throughout DB's hours of service or is it only a shoppers fare as one driver just tried to tell me and a woman that was boarding the bus ahead of me?

She seemed quite bemused by his reply of "Not at this hour love". I explained that I often get the city Centre fare at this hour of night and then he let us both on and implied he was still right and was doing us a favour

magicbastarder

This fare will apply all day, 7 days a week on all routes* within a special City Centre Zone

https://www.dublinbus.ie/Global/CCF20Leaflet.pdf

liger

howiya wrote: »

She seemed quite bemused by his reply of "Not at this hour love". I explained that I often get the city Centre fare at this hour of night and then he let us both on and implied he was still right and was doing us a favour

I believe that DB needs to improve on its communication with staff. Leaving flyers in the depot or sticking up a poster hoping that drivers will stumble across the new information doesn't cut it in this day and age.

I am sure if you took 100 drivers and asked them the current policies on city centre fare, wheelchair users, compulsory stops, buggies etc. you would get less than 50% that know the right information.

coylemj

liger wrote: »

I believe that DB needs to improve on its communication with staff.

There's two sides to very story. I'm sure DB organised proper staff training when the Leap card was being rolled out for example but the attitude of the drivers varied considerably from one to the next. In a lot of cases the passenger had to tell the driver how the system worked while in others the driver was clearly on top of his game and had been properly briefed on how the system worked.

Attitude counts for a lot and sadly some drivers couldn't care less no matter how much training they get.

Kyleboy

coylemj wrote: »

liger wrote: »

I believe that DB needs to improve on its communication with staff.

There's two sides to very story. I'm sure DB organised proper staff training when the Leap card was being rolled out for example but the attitude of the drivers varied considerably from one to the next. In a lot of cases the passenger had to tell the driver how the system worked while in others the driver was clearly on top of his game and had been properly briefed on how the system worked.

Attitude counts for a lot and sadly some drivers couldn't care less no matter how much training they get.

Myself and my colleagues got 3 minutes training when the leap card was brought in and a optional booklet and have never had any further training, occasionally there is thrown on the notice board, with updates on leap cards.

liger

coylemj wrote: »

There's two sides to very story. I'm sure DB organised proper staff training when the Leap card was being rolled out

Actually no. Voluntary training if you wanted it. Just a few minutes showing how to use the card when it was released. Any additional features that have been thrown onto the system is just update leaflets.

I agree that there is a percentage of staff that won't be proactive in their approach to work and want to do as little as possible.

AngryLips

What's really disappointing about DB is that passengers have to specifically ask for the city centre fare even within that fare zone. I have often been with people who have been charged the next fare up for completing a journey in the city centre zone.

magicbastarder

AngryLips wrote: »

What's really disappointing about DB is that passengers have to specifically ask for the city centre fare even within that fare zone.

well, the system as it is requires them to tell the driver their desitination, or what fare they want. do you mean people who named the destination, rather than the fare, and were charged incorrect fare?

AngryLips

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, the system as it is requires them to tell the driver their desitination, or what fare they want. do you mean people who named the destination, rather than the fare, and were charged incorrect fare?

Yes

liger

AngryLips wrote: »

Yes

Again I would go back and look at the training given.

Different routes to remember different stops. Ambiguous information, the city centre fare ends on Dorset st for buses heading out that way. There are 3 stops on Dorset st. 2 in the zone one not. So if someone gets on and says Dorset st you get involved with follow up questions and so on.

rx8

liger wrote: »

Again I would go back and look at the training given.

Different routes to remember different stops. Ambiguous information, the city centre fare ends on Dorset st for buses heading out that way. There are 3 stops on Dorset st. 2 in the zone one not. So if someone gets on and says Dorset st you get involved with follow up questions and so on.

The city centre fare actually ends on Parnell Square West, it does not include any stops on Dorset Street.
http://www.dublinbus.ie/PageFiles/12622/City_Centre_Fare_Feb_2015_v2.pdf

liger

rx8 wrote: »

The city centre fare actually ends on Parnell Square West, it does not include any stops on Dorset Street.
http://www.dublinbus.ie/PageFiles/12622/City_Centre_Fare_Feb_2015_v2.pdf

Up to stage 76. 76 on the 11 was Dorset st. The 2nd stop on Dorset st had the end of city centre fare on it.

rx8

Not so, I'm afraid. Stop Number 10, on Parnell Square West clearly has a pink sign on it that says "End of city centre fare zone".

The zone was changed to exclude Dorset Street and stage 76 about 3 years ago.

XPS_Zero

They don't seem to tell them much.

Outside Heuston station one day, a very helpful young 145 driver was advising tourists to get the Leap Visitor card since they said they'd be traveling around the city a lot, and loading 3 days onto one such card costs €19.50 as opposed to three daily all service caps which would cost you €30.

Now of course they don't sell the cards in the station that would be logical, just as the Dublin Bus machines at the airport are filled with utterly fxxxxng useless standard fare tickets instead of THE most useful bloody smart card for tourists or even ANY of Dublin Busses own tourist tickets.

At this point the people at NTA, who don't seem to do much logical planning on this stuff, realised "oh yeh, just selling leap visitor at the airport is stupid.." and started selling in the CC in various places. Of course they didn't tell those transport staff people any of this, I mean why send a memo to the very people tourists ask the questions of eh? We'd miss a chance to fleece them with higher fares. So I told the driver and tourists you can now get them in CC.

Also it should be noted that NOWHERE in the Leap Visitor posters, leaflets etc does it bother to tell people about a key feature of the card, that it can be reloaded for one, three or 7 days at pay zone. They didn't tell pay zone outlet staff this either as not ONE had seen one before when I topped up my American cousins a few times. One girl (in a shop right across from bloody Connoly you'd think she'd know at least) looked at it, turned it over, continued staring at it, then voice quaking with fear (yes, really) she said "oh god no we're not allowed top them up they don't allow it"....but suggested I try another shop.....er...so it's not allowed or you just don't know?? She'd a pay zone machine right there I said "don't be ridiculous the NTA wouldn't put features on a card then ban customers from using them". She still refused.

One DB revenue inspector, not recognising my cousin was American prob cos he had my UCD jacket on, confidently told him those were "just for the tourists", but no Irish people can buy them, in fact two of the three time periods (1 day and 7 days) offer no sAving over normal leap card caps anyway and the one that does, the three days consecutive, most Irish wouldn't find worth it so fears of mass revenue loss are unfounded.

See all the lack of joined up thinking and communications?

liger

rx8 wrote: »

Not so, I'm afraid. Stop Number 10, on Parnell Square West clearly has a pink sign on it that says "End of city centre fare zone".

The zone was changed to exclude Dorset Street and stage 76 about 3 years ago.

Ok I don't drive those routes anymore. But it's a perfect example of poor communication with staff. I would be one of the more anal staff members who try to keep up with what's going on. I never heard of any changed to the cc fare limit. And 3years ago u was in a garage with routes up to Dorset st.

AlekSmart

liger wrote: »

Ok I don't drive those routes anymore. But it's a perfect example of poor communication with staff. I would be one of the more anal staff members who try to keep up with what's going on. I never heard of any changed to the cc fare limit. And 3years ago u was in a garage with routes up to Dorset st.

The change came about because of the decision to modify the Shoppers fare, (Off Peak) to allow for Cross City Bus Services to provide a LUAS BXD link in advance of the actual line opening in 2018,thus explaining the universal availibility.

It was reasonably well flagged,with,Noticeboard Memo's and boxes of handouts (With a schematic and list of appropriate stops),however many Staff do not read noticeboards and rarely take up leaflets.

What could have been utilized is basic simplicity ...A BIG flag sign at the appropriate stop reading CC Fare STARTS HERE followed later by the appropriate CC fare ENDS HERE.

The Company did in fact adopt the latter of the two,albeit in a subdued Pink hue,but in time honoured fashion declined to use the former,which would have made the thing watertight.

Also,as ever,some of the CC Zone is slightly skewed as in Merrion Sq/Holles Street.

However,on a broader scale,the continuance of the current fare-stage arrangement is now well outdated,and needs to be replaced by,either a Flat Fare or non-driver interacted system...which might just explain the TWO :eek: CENTRE DOOR :eek: Smart card Reader mountings recently appearing on GT1.

Stevek101

AlekSmart wrote: »

However,on a broader scale,the continuance of the current fare-stage arrangement is now well outdated,and needs to be replaced by,either a Flat Fare or non-driver interacted system...which might just explain the TWO :eek: CENTRE DOOR :eek: Smart card Reader mountings recently appearing on GT1.

Fare change incoming? Any more info on why they'd put those readers on the centre doors? Especially two of them!

LXFlyer

Stevek101 wrote: »

Fare change incoming? Any more info on why they'd put those readers on the centre doors? Especially two of them!

Whatever about the readers, there is now a process through which there is an annual fares review at the end of October each year.

We won't know what's involved until then.

AlekSmart

Stevek101 wrote: »

Fare change incoming? Any more info on why they'd put those readers on the centre doors? Especially two of them!

It could be just a simple error,perhaps a tired installer mistaking the middle for the front....?

I'm sure it's nothing...fancy a bull's eye....?

Mind you,since the NTA own the Ball,it's totally their choice as to the rules to be followed......maybe a FoI request...just make sure your net is suitably wide ?

magicbastarder

Stevek101 wrote: »

Fare change incoming? Any more info on why they'd put those readers on the centre doors? Especially two of them!

are they going for a tag on/tag off system?

up13

magicbastarder wrote: »

are they going for a tag on/tag off system?

I hope not , current ticket machines are woefully underpowered, taking on and off at same time will most likely bring the machines to a crawl.

n97 mini

Where I am at the moment the city centre zone is free, on both bus and tram. All stops have a separate board with "Free Zone" in big letters and the automated announcements on board will announce "this is the end of the free zone, you must have a valid ticket to alight from the next stop onwards". No confusion. I wish DB city centre zone was as easily identifiable.

Kyleboy

n97 mini wrote: »

Where I am at the moment the city centre zone is free, on both bus and tram. All stops have a separate board with "Free Zone" in big letters and the automated announcements on board will announce "this is the end of the free zone, you must have a valid ticket to alight from the next stop onwards". No confusion. I wish DB city centre zone was as easily identifiable.

Do they have free Wi-Fi?