The Dublin Coach Experience

Jameslee23

the second 12 double-decker is back on the road again

Muller1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122022948#Comment_122022948

If Carlsberg did wrong answers …. Dublin bus lost 10% of its routes to the tender won by GAI. Over the next couple of years Dublin bus's fleet will also be bigger than its ever been. Whoever told you that was leading you up the garden path.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034717#Comment_122034717

Yes, I believe the Dublin Bus fleet is now as big as it ever been, both pre GAI and even pre network direct when the fleet was shrunk during the recession.

It isn’t perfectly accurate, but bustimes.org indicates there are 1099 vehicles active in the fleet, which I think is the highest number ever. Of course even more in storage, etc.

Having said that the 06 buses, the AX class, are the oldest in the DB fleet and they are likely to be put into storage / sold off over the next year or so as shiny new electric buses, the EW class arrive to replace them. But that is all completely normal replacement of old buses.

Jameslee23

I was told there’s also going to be an auction around Christmas time where 67 of their buses are gonna be sold off

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122036071#Comment_122036071

Auctions happening at the moment, detailed on the other forum here:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/irishtransport/dublin-bus-ax-s-and-vt-s-up-for-sale-t20848-s10.html

Usually DB gets about 100 new buses per year to replace the oldest ones, so that would all be pretty normal. Actually the last two years have been a little different as they have held onto buses longer then normal and even taken ones out of storage to use, due to the expanding demands of new BusConnects routes and growing fleet. In the past DB only held onto buses for 14 years, but these 2006 buses are now going on 18 years!

They have never been busier and will only get even busier as more BusConnects routes are rolled out.

Jameslee23

some towns around the country have made a rule that buses that are 15 years and older can’t be used for public transport

AX612

Yes, the second 12 reg Vanhools is back on the 726 now

AXs, EVs, VTs would be sold off in the auctions usually but I'm not sure if there's anymore for this year. It's actually kinda scary the amount of EWs that's coming in.. you'd have to see it for yourselfs!

I've also heard they're getting their finger out now about Portlaoise, but that's resulting in taking buses off the 300 service.. loose loose in my opinion. The solution to the problem is simply this - new buses...

Jameslee23

that’s the plan when the 300 stops later this year

Jamie2k9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038374#Comment_122038374

So your claiming they will drop all services from Killarney/Tralee/Ennis & Limerick?

Somehow I don't see that happening.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122038319#Comment_122038319

Still reckon that a VT or Bus Eireann LD (Both auctioned off) would make an awesome camper conversion 😊

AX612

User Jameslee123 never has any evidence to back up his claims...

The VT or LD would definitely make a great camper conversion, now try the same with a Dublin Coach Vanhool 🤣

john boye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043271#Comment_122043271

So you're saying that Dublin Bus hasn't lost 50% of its routes?!

Jameslee23

I’ve been told exactly, but yes I’ve no evidence to show, but when I do get it on paper I will show it to you A few weeks ago, I was told they have exactly 93 routes, across the county of Dublin

Tickityboo

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/dublin-bus-loses-control-of-24-bus-routes-serving-suburbs-1.3182303

patrickc

I was out cycling today and as part of my spin I went from Portlaoise to monasterevin. Every single place where DC stop has oil ot other black substances on the ground, obvious leaking from the buses.

devnull

https://www.flickr.com/photos/196590301@N02/53665156534/

That's some battered bus.

Jameslee23

I thought 07 one was the oldest one they had

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122047426#Comment_122047426

Actually probably isn't the worst by their standards just looks it hasn't been washed in about 10 years. I regularly see Dublin Coach vehicles with bits of bodywork cable tied on.

Jameslee23

does anyone have a fleet update on how many buses the green bus has

AX612

That photo of the 06 Citaro in Limerick has history to it. It was new in Oxford, then went to Go-Ahead Ireland for driver training and then it went to Dublin Coach. It's madness how Dublin Coach are running 2003 and 2006 reg Citaros in regular service in Limerick but then again, Dublin Bus still have 2006 buses running although they're due to come off this year, while that 06 Citaro will probably run til it eventually dies.. I was on one of their 07 Citaros on the 816 Portarlington service a few days ago and it wasn't too bad if I'm honest, but maybe that's just Citaros being built well!

Yes alot of Dublin Coach bus stops have oil at them all over the ground, look at Red Cow for example!

Jameslee23

it’s very hard to pinpoint which buses are leaking oil because everyone used to blame the old double-deckers but now that they’re gone it be interesting to see which buses it is

ULEZ23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122047426#Comment_122047426

I’d never be the first to defend them but that bus does not look “battered”, dirty yes but battered no. Bus eireann have more dents on some of their 2 year old buses compared to that near 20yo bus.

sporry but you are not doing yourself any favours with that exagerated post

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122059964#Comment_122059964

The bus being so dirty is not acceptable.

It reminds of the BE city buses in Cork as a kid in the 80’s, dirty, old, covered in graffiti and always breaking down. It really gave people in Cork a very bad impression that continues to today, of public transport being dirty and unreliable. Which explains why most people in Cork drive instead.

Policies like only keeping buses for 14 years, good maintenance, proper regular cleaning inside and out are so important to making public transport attractive to the public.

You need to sell public transport to the public, not just exist.

ULEZ23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122060489#Comment_122060489

all fair points.

my post was in reply to @devnull who I feel choose the wrong picture to make their point and in the process even did the opposite and actually makes dc look good! This 2006 bus other than being dirty has a small handful of light dents would put other firms like bus eireann to shame and that includes comparing this near 20yo db coach to others newer stock.

to quote @devnull ”that’s some battered bus”, most definitely not the case and a huge case of exaggeration and only calls into question their interpretation / understanding.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122059922#Comment_122059922

I thought all the Go-Ahead Citaro trainers were sent back to the UK to be scrapped just assumed it was one of the ex Quick Park buses.

patrickc

I noticed in portlaoise, something like sand put down on both DC main stops. Maybe the council are reading this.

AX612

Most of the ex Go-Ahead Citaros were scrapped I believe but that one escaped scrap!

Jameslee23

this is on their oldest coach

Jameslee23

they were using the 09 on the port, Kildare village route today

patrickc

I was on the M9 this evening, one of their mercs was on the 600.

It had 2 uneven front lights, one way brighter than the other and no rear lights.