The Dublin Coach Experience

Jamie2k9

It's good to see most DC drivers have started using the typical diversion route in Waterford City to avoid the traffic on the quays at peak times. What isn't great is every so often you get old buses on the M9 service, little more often lately.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839652#Comment_120839652

Noticed that too. Got one recently and a girl had to sit on the toilet steps it was so full. Capacity likely a lot less than the doubles. Are they being used elsewhere?

Jamie2k9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839705#Comment_120839705

No idea but lately there seems to be at least one diagram (varies) on the M9 any day I have taken them. I think the double deckers have around 70 seats verses 45-50. They are using some on services towards Limerick unless they have increased them on this route recently.

Prehaps some of the window's are been fixed, various ones have some cracks.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839705#Comment_120839705

Coaches should not be travelling with passengers who are not seated in a proper seat. That's completely unacceptable

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120840064#Comment_120840064

I completely agree, but we're talking about Dublin Coach here :) Their standards are as low as sitting on the lowest step beside the toilet. I must highlight that it's dangerous to the passenger in such sitting place and position.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120840064#Comment_120840064

I know but it happened. I suppose it was either that or wait two hours for the next one. Was from kilkenny on

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120840834#Comment_120840834

Doesn't matter, even the last bus, a driver shouldn't have let more people on the bus knowing there were no seats left.

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120840834#Comment_120840834

It's about passenger safety which is non-negotiable in my book.

What would happen if they had an accident?

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120842965#Comment_120842965

I’m not arguing the rights and wrongs! It’s possible there was a spare seat hidden down the back some place with bags etc and she preferred to stay there- I’ve no idea. Does the driver have some kind of automatic register that tells him how many sears are free?

Vast majority in seats don’t wear a seat belt anyhow so in an accident her outcome would not be a whole lot different I’d imagine

DUBLINBUSGUY

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120842965#Comment_120842965

She'd probably be crushed by the 90+% of passengers on the coach not wearing their seat belts.

patrickc

Saw a falling apart decker in portlaoise the other day, the bumper was hanging off, and a light hanging out.

If I recall it was a 12

d51984

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888887#Comment_120888887

Bear in mind that them 2012 deckers have had a hard life in the UK before they even came over here. Some of the drivers are complete and utter maniacs driving them, I really am surprised how the company is still operating ITS THAT BAD.

patrickc

A 09 decker passed me near portlaoise today, falling to bits and sounded worse!

How is that yoke road legal or still going!

devnull

Spot what is missing here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/busmanscotland/53064732052/

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120915176#Comment_120915176

How does that even happen? Relatively new coach as well.

mikeybhoy

Accident damage I'd imagine probably hit a low hanging branch or something like that can easily happen. Never long before damage is done to a new bus just with DC said damage mostly appears to go unrepaired.

patrickc

I see people on Facebook giving out about some drivers speeding etc.

A driver said they are speed limited so they couldn't be speeding!

Citrus_8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120918515#Comment_120918515

Speed limiter is probably setup at circa 90 or 100 km/h, but there are some 60 or 80 km/h road where it indeed is possible to still be speeding then.

mikeybhoy

Most of their drivers are non nationals often with poor English

patrickc

I passed an 08 setra on the m50 this evening, it was going very slow so I'm presuming struggling, it had full lights at the back and one fog lamp as its front lights, this was at 9.45pm!

briany

Dublin Coach been letting me down a bit, unfortunately. When the service runs, it's fine, but a couple of times I've been waiting for the 7.15 AM M7 service out of Burgh Quay and it's just not been there. To be more specific, on the first occasion, the bus was there, but it said "Not in Service" and the bus driver appeared from the back of the bus, eventually, to let people on for the 7.45 slot. The second time, there was just no bus.

On the second time of this happening, I asked the 7.45 driver what the issue was and he said that the company has a lack of drivers. OK. I also called the company themselves, and the explanation they gave was that one of the buses going toward Dublin earlier experienced a mechanical failure at Kildare. OK. I understand all of these things happen, and more, but it's no good for commuters to show up to a stop and just have no bus be there.

The man on the phone said about seeing the location of the buses in the app, which would work, unless it's like the first occasion where the bus was physically there at the stop, but just wasn't running.

The company needs to be better with real time service updates otherwise it's just not fit to use, especially if you need to be somewhere at a specific time.

z80CPU

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154185#Comment_121154185

In the UK your queries will be treated like a professional travelling to and from work ( whether you are or not )

Here in Ireland, your questions will be treated as if you're an IT college student returning to college after the sesh

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154248#Comment_121154248

Yes, and to that, the customer service guy did hang up on me mid-call.

devnull

Great vehicle here, clearly had lots of TLC

https://flic.kr/p/2p6RJKX

Poxyshamrock

Passed a Killarney bound coach in Limerick on Friday evening with a person sitting in the ‘tour guide’ seat and another sitting on the steps up to the main seats. Ridiculous operator.

LiamaDelta

Has anyone ever contacted the NTA about the service levels. I did a few years ago but just got a generic response that they 'monitor' operators performance. Didn't go into details about how they gather the information or anything. I'm assuming they were forced into having the real-time information but I can't see how they can maintain their license with such poor service levels.

Jamie2k9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121224319#Comment_121224319

I don't think service levels are as poor as people make out. Bit like Ryanair people love to complain to keep coming back!

There real time system is streets ahead of the public operators and fairly reliable. BE don't even have an app.

TravelCounty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121224984#Comment_121224984

I can't speak for all services but I'd agree that they're fairly alright for what it's worth. Their realtime is actually fairly good like you say and they're priced reasonably enough.

My biggest gripe is that they're just not punctual. Maybe I'm just believing something to be true because people say it so much, but from my experience of using it (somewhat regularly) it's always coming ~20 mins late as opposed to it's similar PSO alternative (still late but not nearly as severely as that).

I will say, this is coming from a commuter perspective. I think they should be thought of as an "InterCity" bus. If you're taking long journeys, then those 20 mins probably don't matter. If you're using it for commuting, then it's just outright not a good option.

I will credit them, they run the 24 hour service from Dublin Airport to Portlaoise through Kildare towns + Portarlington, which is a really good amenity - if only the Dublin Bus G Spine was timed to meet it at Red Cow - it would provide loads with 24 hour service in and out of Dublin City Centre 😅 (but I understand there's no obligation for NTA/TFI to coordinate with private services)

road_high

I agree. Yes it can be a wild ride sometimes but i often use the M9 service and it’s cheap, quick and if you get a new bus can be a comfortable experience. I use their app too and it’s spot on. Can watch it leaving Waterford and know to get ready and make my way across town to the stop! A lot of people are using them and that says to em they’re providing the service people want. They beat the train on door to door times

p_haugh

Would be great if they made the realtime data publically available and not confined to their app.