Go-Ahead Dublin City Routes - Updates and Discussion

Fizzy Duck

punisher5112 wrote: »

Can be extremely confusing especially to someone that wouldn't have ever been in a certain area so wouldn't know the roads.

Lack of training seems to be the main reason though.

They are out route learning a fair bit. How much learning is done, I don't know. If I had my way I'd test the guys on routes they had learned so they know it in and out in darkness and light. It is too much of box ticking exercise atm.


Driver says he knows the 75 send him out on the 75. I'd bet they can tell you where to get a nice coffee or lunch though

tabbey

punisher5112 wrote: »

I still see 75 going off route and in estates it shouldn't even be near.

The worst example of this that I witnessed, was a Dublin Bus a couple of years ago.

It was labelled route 4, which should have terminated in Monkstown Avenue, but somehow found itself in Lower George's Street, DunLaoghaire.

The driver drove it forwards into St Michael's Hospital, then reversed out onto the street.

There are plenty of drivers who make errors, like everyone, but this took the biscuit.

Stephen15

punisher5112 wrote: »

Can be extremely confusing especially to someone that wouldn't have ever been in a certain area so wouldn't know the roads.

Lack of training seems to be the main reason though.

How much driver training would you expect them to do to be fair. I believe GAI are giving the same amount of training to drivers as DB typically would. How many would a driver be expected to do a route in training before they are considered to know the route fully and would be allowed run it in service. I believe it happens where drivers are sent out on routes which they haven't been trained on if they're stuck for drivers. At least we don't have have too many low bridges here in Dublin anyway as I reckon one or two double deckers may have been turned into single deckers at this this stage didn't that happen in Bray years ago

.G.

Are they still doing multiple routes in one shift? That can't be helpful, especially to new drivers. DB way is best with this IMO, one route for the whole day. Even with that mistakes can be made if the route your on is similar to another one but far less likely.

Stephen15

.G. wrote: »

Are they still doing multiple routes in one shift? That can't be helpful, especially to new drivers. DB way is best with this IMO, one route for the whole day. Even with that mistakes can be made if the route your on is similar to another one but far less likely.

That is correct I'm not sure if they are doing as much as they were at the very start but yes they are doing it alright. It looks as if where there are multiple routes terminating at the same terminus they are worked by the same bus and drivers. For example in Dun Laoghaire the 45a, 59, 63 and 75 are interworked, Blackrock the 17 and 114 are interworked, in Bray with the 184 and 185, the 104 and 220 at DCU and at the Airport with the 102 and 33a.

I think they are doing it so aren't wasting fuel running buses out of service for long stretches and means drivers aren't spending time sitting at a terminus waiting to go out. For example they have a number of routes in DL as I already mentioned which is a fair run dead run from Ballymount OOS as the 75 terminus in Tallaght isn't far from Ballymount they'd send a 75 from Tallaght to DL and then from DL they'd do a 45a, 63 or 59.

This created problems as the 75 is long route prone to traffic so it would mean any delays would have a knock on effect on other DL routes they are supposed to be operating on the same duty somi think they are more so doing it off peak and early in the morning but I could be wrong as there have been less issues with DL routes lately by the looks of things. An odd sight there I saw a few weeks ago was a 63 into DL and then turned into a 75 and then two minutes a 75 came in and turned into a 63.

john boye

Have Express Bus taken one of the Wright Gemini trainers from GAI? They have one in service which looks very like one that GAI were using.

Victor

Have all routes now moved over?




GAI / TFI 11521 on route with an unidentifed DB route 83 at Kenilworth Crossroads yesterday.

thomasj

The 18 is probably the closest that go-ahead is in service to the city centre?

StreetLight

Liffey Valley is being used as a changeover point for GA drivers on the 76.

It's also interworked with the 18. When drivers on the 76 reach Chapelizod, they then go to Palmerstown to commence an 18.

.G.

Single decker on the 76 heading for Tallaght this afternoon around the time that the secondary schools finish. That can't be good, the 76 used to be jammed on a double deck when I drove it years ago around school times.

Thrashssacre

Haven’t heard any complaints so far today, seen a couple of services curtailed but other then that go ahead seem to be a definite improvement to what came before them. Hopefully things stay that way.

Stephen15

.G. wrote: »

Single decker on the 76 heading for Tallaght this afternoon around the time that the secondary schools finish. That can't be good, the 76 used to be jammed on a double deck when I drove it years ago around school times.

I thought the single deckers were only meant to be on it during the evening and weekends when there's less passengers could be to do with the fact the 102 is supposed to have gone to mostly double deckers now. The frequency has gone up to every 20 mins from 30 mins which should mean more capacity.

Thrashssacre

Stephen15 wrote: »

I thought the single deckers were only meant to be on it during the evening and weekends when there's less passengers could be to do with the fact the 102 is supposed to have gone to mostly double deckers now. The frequency has gone up to every 20 mins from 30 mins which should mean more capacity.

What’s the capacity or the streetlights vs the double decks do you know?

Stephen15

sugarman wrote: »

33a on Abbey St.

33a doesn't go to Abbey Street runs from the Swords/Airport to Skerries/Balbriggan. 33 runs from Abbey Street but is run by DB.

Stephen15

Thrashssacre wrote: »

What’s the capacity or the streetlights vs the double decks do you know?

45 vs 95 I believe

prinzeugen

I heard some great things about go-ahead so it will be interesting to see how they handle the 18 later today (Tue) when the football is on in the Aviva.

Will they put on extra buses or leave folks waiting for an hour on the next one like DB does when the bus is full?

CIARAN_BOYLE

prinzeugen wrote: »

I heard some great things about go-ahead so it will be interesting to see how they handle the 18 later today (Tue) when the football is on in the Aviva.

Will they put on extra buses or leave folks waiting for an hour on the next one like DB does when the bus is full?

Well if the bus companies don't get the fare box (which they don't) I can't see a reason for them to put on extra services.

A phone call to nta saying can I take the fare box if I run extra services or can you pay an extra subvention for extra services should be made by Go Ahead however I don't see it likely to generate a result.

howiya

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Well if the bus companies don't get the fare box (which they don't) I can't see a reason for them to put on extra services.

A phone call to nta saying can I take the fare box if I run extra services or can you pay an extra subvention for extra services should be made by Go Ahead however I don't see it likely to generate a result.

Do Luas run extra trams for events in the 3 arena? What’s the arrangement there?

CIARAN_BOYLE

howiya wrote: »

Do Luas run extra trams for events in the 3 arena? What’s the arrangement there?

I belive they do. I'm sure they receive an extra subvention of some sort for it.

The reason why I believe that the bus is not an option is because I'm sure if it was it would be done by now. If it was being done tonight I'm sure it would be advertised.

Stephen Gawking

Has the 18 been rerouted? Haven't had a chance to look it up since sunday but there was an 18 driving down the Crumlin road this evening & the poor fella driving it looked like he was sweating buckets.

Stephen15

Stephen Gawking wrote: »

Has the 18 been rerouted? Haven't had a chance to look it up since sunday but there was an 18 driving down the Crumlin road this evening & the poor fella driving it looked like he was sweating buckets.

No it's still on the same route as it was with DB. Driver may have taken a wrong turn

prinzeugen

Got the 18 to and from the stadium. Very slow! I know they are new drivers but crawling along at 15kph is no good to anyone.

Also on both journeys I paid the correct €3 cash fare. Yet the tickets both said I had paid €2.15... Where is the 85c going???

ax586

prinzeugen wrote: »

Got the 18 to and from the stadium. Very slow! I know they are new drivers but crawling along at 15kph is no good to anyone.

Also on both journeys I paid the correct €3 cash fare. Yet the tickets both said I had paid €2.15... Where is the 85c going???

They probably hit the wrong button I've done it myself a couple of times..Majority of them are all New this and only getting use to the wayfarer give them a chance and the 85c doesn't go to GAI if that's what your thinking..NTA take all cash fares

dfx-

prinzeugen wrote: »

I heard some great things about go-ahead so it will be interesting to see how they handle the 18 later today (Tue) when the football is on in the Aviva.

Will they put on extra buses or leave folks waiting for an hour on the next one like DB does when the bus is full?

DB put on extra citybound buses - VTs displaying a "4", not extra 18s.

I got the 2100 ex-Sandymount 18 tonight. Very slow, running slow - not late, just slow. Getting to stops about 15 minutes slower than the DB service did. At least it was a double decker.

Stephen Gawking

Stephen15 wrote: »

No it's still on the same route as it was with DB. Driver may have taken a wrong turn

Its destination display read crumlin hospital so that would be a fairly direct route i imagine.

Muller1991

Has there been an official start date announced for the kildare routes yet ?

Stephen15

Muller1991 wrote: »

Has there been an official start date announced for the kildare routes yet ?

No but November has been muted from what I've heard

Stephen15

dfx- wrote: »

I got the 2100 ex-Sandymount 18 tonight. Very slow, running slow - not late, just slow. Getting to stops about 15 minutes slower than the DB service did. At least it was a double decker.

Could be a newly trained driver but I'd say it was more likely that the driver was driving slow to keep on time and not run early as unlike Dublin Bus Go-Ahead drivers are not allowed run ahead of schedule and various timing points not sure if that's NTA policy or internal GAI policy.

It's also happened me on a GAI bus where the driver pulled in at a stop for about 5 minutes as he was running early.

ax586

Stephen15 wrote: »

Could be a newly trained driver but I'd say it was more likely that the driver was driving slow to keep on time and not run early as unlike Dublin Bus Go-Ahead drivers are not allowed run ahead of schedule and various timing points not sure if that's NTA policy or internal GAI policy.

It's also happened me on a GAI bus where the driver pulled in at a stop for about 5 minutes as he was running early.

I was driving the 184 and when I got to greystones I was 7 minutes early have to sit there till it goes to 0 on the avl.

prinzeugen

Stephen15 wrote: »

Could be a newly trained driver but I'd say it was more likely that the driver was driving slow to keep on time and not run early as unlike Dublin Bus Go-Ahead drivers are not allowed run ahead of schedule and various timing points not sure if that's NTA policy or internal GAI policy.

It's also happened me on a GAI bus where the driver pulled in at a stop for about 5 minutes as he was running early.

Dont think thats the case. The 18 I got was crawling and was overtaken by another 18 on Appian Way and there was another 18 behind us when we eventually got to Northumberland Rd.

Our driver must have been going that slow that the two buses behind caught up and one was able to pass us!

I kept humming the theme music from Driving Miss Daisy!