Go-Ahead Dublin City Routes - Updates and Discussion

Stephen15

Vic_08 wrote: »

65kph buses are also not going to be ideal for the regional routes, particularly the 120. Certainly wouldn't fancy a trip to Tullamore on one.

I believe GAI will be getting VDL coaches from the NTA to operate ex BE routes. Perhaps the odd city bus might slip on to one of the shorter routes but as you said those buses will need to able to take cash and not just change.

L1011

Stephen15 wrote: »

I believe GAI will be getting VDL coaches from the NTA to operate ex BE routes. Perhaps the odd city bus might slip on to one of the shorter routes but as you said those buses will need to able to take cash and not just change.

Presence of a coin drop box neither prevents the driver taking notes (in a change slip setup) or simply not using the damn thing - every bus can take cash basically.

I would assume that the awkward orbitals are quite like to got to GA under BusConnects particularly as the plan at the moment is for them to have all the little buses. You would really want a belted, not 65km/h limited bus for something as long distance as Maynooth-Tallaght

GM228

Stephen15 wrote: »

I believe GAI will be getting VDL coaches from the NTA to operate ex BE routes. Perhaps the odd city bus might slip on to one of the shorter routes but as you said those buses will need to able to take cash and not just change.

Previously mentioned this here.

"13 new tri-axle double deck buses from VDL, 12 new single-deck regional buses from Wrights and 10 LD type buses (2016) from Bus Éireann".

It's the part in bold that I'm curious about, if it's Wrights then that would suggest possibly the StreetLite which is a 65 km/h bus. But the use of "regional" confuses that more, I don't think Wrights produce any non-city type buses, what use would a 65 km/h bus be for the Kildare corridor?

soundman45

devnull wrote: »

It seems the Go-Ahead effect is shaking up the wider market for coach drivers.

Aircoach are now also advertising that they are going to train up staff to get them licensed to drive their vehicles.

Aircoach are really struggling to get drivers for the car park contracts at dublin airport. Those drivers get paid less than the drivers on the blue coaches but it would be ideal for new drivers to gain experience then move up to coach work. The blue coach drivers actually have a very good job with a marked in system, good rosters and flexible holidays etc.

Stephen15

GM228 wrote: »

"13 new tri-axle double deck buses from VDL, 12 new single-deck regional buses from Wrights and 10 LD type buses (2016) from Bus Éireann".

It's the part in bold that I'm curious about, if it's Wrights then that would suggest possibly the StreetLite which is a 65 km/h bus. But the use of "regional" confuses that more, I don't think Wrights produce any non-city type buses, what use would a 65 km/h bus be for the Kildare corridor?

They do make buses that have the same body with higher more comfy seats for longer like the BE VWD. These buses will likely be used on the shorter BE routes that they won. I'm not sure about speed however but I think they do make buses which can over 65km as they have seatbelts.

AlekSmart

Stephen15 wrote: »

They do make buses that have the same body with higher more comfy seats for longer like the BE VWD. These buses will likely be used on the shorter BE routes that they won. I'm not sure about speed however but I think they do make buses which can over 65km as they have seatbelts.

The Speed Limit issue is dependent upon whether the Vehicle has provision for Standing Passengers,rather than on Seat Belt fitment alone.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2008/si/546/made/en/print

(1) The ordinary speed limit prescribed for a single or double deck mechanically propelled vehicle constructed or adapted for use primarily for the carriage of passengers which has seating capacity for more than 8 persons and which is—

(a) neither designed nor adapted for the carriage of standing passengers, when driven on—

(i) a motorway or a dual carriageway, is 100 kilometres per hour, or

(ii) any other public road, is 80 kilometres per hour, or

(b) designed or adapted for the carriage of standing passengers when driven on any public road is 65 kilometres per hour.

AlekSmart

L1011 wrote: »

Yes, but it'd be phenomenally expensive and not guaranteed to succeed. They'd also need GA drivers who wanted to be represented by them or else they'd probably have no standing to take the case

It's also quite interesting how,when all the roaring and lepping around is done,some things remain very similar....

The "Single Union Agreement" is not entirely that.....

https://www.go-aheaddublin.ie/newsroom-2/go-ahead-ireland-enjoys-surge-recruitment-depot-nears-completion/

In a separate announcement, Go-Ahead Ireland has signed an agreement with the SIPTU trade union to provide GAI with sole recognition for its employees*.

*Deal excludes craft workers who will be represented by a separate union.

As they say out forren......"plus ca change plus c'est la même chose"

john boye

Noticed recently that the newbuild GA buses are being given ad frames now. Was wondering who will the income from this go to, GA or NTA? I only ask as I assume it would have to be a different set up to DB advertising.

dublinman1990

john boye wrote: »

Noticed recently that the newbuild GA buses are being given ad frames now. Was wondering who will the income from this go to, GA or NTA? I only ask as I assume it would have to be a different set up to DB advertising.

Well spotted although this SG is an older one from Dublin Bus. It still has it's vehicle spec on the inside.

These aren't my photos but I will link them anyway.




https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.com/BusSceneIreland/BSI-June-2018/

john boye

dublinman1990 wrote: »

Well spotted although this SG is an older one from Dublin Bus. It still has it's vehicle spec on the inside.

These aren't my photos but I will link them anyway.




https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.com/BusSceneIreland/BSI-June-2018/

Thanks but I said the NEWBUILD ones, I noticed they have ad frames fitted up in Wrights.

soundman45

Anybody in doing training yet? If so how is it working out so far?

liger

soundman45 wrote: »

Anybody in doing training yet? If so how is it working out so far?

Haven't heard of anyone over there yet. I think they only need about 25 drivers ready to go for the 175 launch.

I know they are in the process of hiring supervisors and controllers at the moment, I'd be interested to know how those jobs compare to the similar roles in DB salary wise.

Anybody here been interviewed for those jobs?

soundman45

liger wrote: »

Haven't heard of anyone over there yet. I think they only need about 25 drivers ready to go for the 175 launch.

I know they are in the process of hiring supervisors and controllers at the moment, I'd be interested to know how those jobs compare to the similar roles in DB salary wise.

Anybody here been interviewed for those jobs?

When does the route 175 start?

liger

soundman45 wrote: »

When does the route 175 start?

9th September. Another media press day showcasing the new livery happening today.

devnull

https://www.go-aheaddublin.ie/newsroom-2/go-ahead-ireland-opens-new-depot-dublin/

Monday, 9th July 2018; Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Shane Ross T.D., today officially opened Go-Ahead Ireland's new bus depot located in Ballymount, Dublin 12 (Ireland).

Also at the opening was David Brown, CEO of The Go-Ahead Group (UK) and Anne Graham, CEO of National Transport Authority. Both spoke of the strong collaboration between the two organisations as it prepares to take over the operation of 24 existing bus routes, or 10% of the capital's network, commencing in early September 2018.

Officially opening the new Depot, Minister Ross said:

“This is an exciting time for Public Transport and particularly for those of us who travel by bus. Recently, I launched my part of the government’s Project Ireland 2040 -‘Linking people and places’, which will see investment of almost €25billion in our transport, tourism and sport infrastructure over the next 10 years. €8.6 billion of this investment is specifically for public transport. We are planning major investment in programmes such as BusConnects which will involve a complete redesign of our Dublin Area Bus Network and 16 core bus corridors. The opening of the new bus depot today marks the next step in the bus market opening process. Introducing competitive tendering into the market encourages everybody to focus on their customer’s needs and we must place passengers at the centre of our public transport policy. It also encourages innovation and improvements to service quality. I am therefore delighted to welcome Go Ahead into the Irish market and the creation of 425 local jobs and an €8.5 million investment in its operation".

Speaking at the opening was Ed Wills, Managing Director, Go-Ahead Ireland who commented, "The opening of the Go-Ahead Ireland depot is a key milestone for our operations in Dublin and we are very excited to see our colleagues and the new fleet of buses located in this modern facility. We are creating new jobs, investing in developing new skills and with the interest we have already received we are confident that there is a lot of interest in our company. We believe in working closely with the communities we serve and wish to provide a friendly service that our customers can rely upon".

The indicative switch-over schedule is as follows;

9th September 2018:

Introduction of the new 175 from Citywest to UCD

7th October 2018:

45A, 75, 184, 63, 185, 111 & 59

18th November 2018:

17A, 102, 33A, 220, 33B & 104

20th January 2019:

18, 76, 239, 270, 238, 76A,236, 17, 114 & 161

The buses will serve communities from Balbriggan in North County Dublin to Newcastle in Co Wicklow; drop off and collect from 1,721 bus stops and travel hundreds of thousands of kilometres annually.

"There have been a number of announcements made in relation to changes to the transport landscape in Dublin recently and it's important that customers using the existing routes know that the Leap Card and Free Travel Cards can be used on all our buses; Real Time Passenger information will still apply, and fares will remain the same. The first difference people will see is that their bus will be operated by Go-Ahead Ireland and driven by our drivers. The second is the new Transport for Ireland livery which sports a blue, white and green design", concluded Ed Wills of Go-Ahead Ireland.

Anne Graham, NTA CEO said: “I welcome the opening of the Go-Ahead Ireland depot and the jobs that are being created here. I believe that Go-Ahead Ireland will bring a new dynamic to the PSO bus market, something that will ultimately be of great benefit to the travelling public.”

The new Go-Ahead Ireland depot is a modern depot with capacity for up to 500 colleagues and 250 buses. These buses will be maintained to the company's exacting standards and colleagues will service the buses underneath sky lifts, rather than pits, as part of a well-designed, generously equipped and modern workshop, complete with a drive through bus wash. The building additionally benefits from a canteen, gym, showers, electric vehicle charging points and a cycle park area.

Thrashssacre

Is the exact route of the 175 bus known yet?

Stephen15

Thrashssacre wrote: »

Is the exact route of the 175 bus known yet?

UCD to Tallaght I believe

Thrashssacre

Stephen15 wrote: »

UCD to Tallaght I believe

Think it's city West to ucd but I was curious as to what route it's taking to get there

dfx-

devnull wrote: »

Both spoke of the strong collaboration between the two organisations as it prepares to take over the operation of 24 existing bus routes, or 10% of the capital's network, commencing in early September 2018.

Strong collaboration indeed, best of mates.

end of the road

dfx- wrote: »

Strong collaboration indeed, best of mates.

indeed. what's the bets when things are going wrong the operator will be thrown under the bus but when they are going right the government will take all the credit?

dublinman1990

All of the new launch dates for the routes beginning with Go-Ahead all take place on Sundays.

Does this mean that we will see new Sunday timetables on the 111 & 114 being implemented from the NTA because those routes don't have a Sunday service.

punisher5112

dublinman1990 wrote: »

All of these new launch dates for the routes that begin with Go-Ahead are all on Sundays.

Sunday is the start of the week in transportation compared to Monday for most others.

Stephen15

sugarman wrote: »

Havent seen anything official but at a guess id say it will take the same route as the 75 as far as Stillorgan, and where the current 75 swings right onto the N11 heading towards Dun Laoghaire the 175 would go left towards UCD.

I was thinking it would be more be direct if it went via Clonskeagh and Goatstown and heading towards Dundrum.

Stephen15

I was on the app store today and it appear the official DB app may have disappeared off the app store. Now bare in mind I am currently out of the country atm. Just stumbled across it by accident today when a different DB app made by AtebApps was one of my suggested apps and I assumed it was an update but it appears to be a completely separate app.

I wonder why happened is it because now with GA coming in the NTA want everyone on the TFI rather than the individual company apps? Or perhaps the app is only available to download in Ireland.

Peregrine

Stephen15 wrote: »

I was on the app store today and it appear the official DB app may have disappeared off the app store. Now bare in mind I am currently out of the country atm. Just stumbled across it by accident today when a different DB app made by AtebApps was one of my suggested apps and I assumed it was an update but it appears to be a completely separate app.

I wonder why happened is it because now with GA coming in the NTA want everyone on the TFI rather than the individual company apps? Or perhaps the app is only available to download in Ireland.

Yeah, it's gone.

There's no way there'd be a Dublin Bus app and a Go Ahead app. They're both just operators for NTA now. I expect a common app, common website and common bus stops along with the common livery.

devnull

Peregrine wrote: »

Stephen15 wrote: »

I was on the app store today and it appear the official DB app may have disappeared off the app store. Now bare in mind I am currently out of the country atm. Just stumbled across it by accident today when a different DB app made by AtebApps was one of my suggested apps and I assumed it was an update but it appears to be a completely separate app.

I wonder why happened is it because now with GA coming in the NTA want everyone on the TFI rather than the individual company apps? Or perhaps the app is only available to download in Ireland.

Yeah, it's gone.

There's no way there'd be a Dublin Bus app and a Go Ahead app. They're both just operators for NTA now. I expect a common app, common website and common bus stops along with the common livery.

Hopefully we will see all that but I remain to be convinced it will happen just yet. Still a lot to do before GA start.

Although saying that with only one route starting until October then they have a bit longer than the September I expected since its not a big deal for just the 175 in September.

Stephen15

Peregrine wrote: »

Yeah, it's gone.

There's no way there'd be a Dublin Bus app and a Go Ahead app. They're both just operators for NTA now. I expect a common app, common website and common bus stops along with the common livery.

No annoucement or heads up which isin't great. You'd think the NTA would be encouraging people to download their own real time app instead.

devnull

Stephen15 wrote: »

Peregrine wrote: »

Yeah, it's gone.

There's no way there'd be a Dublin Bus app and a Go Ahead app. They're both just operators for NTA now. I expect a common app, common website and common bus stops along with the common livery.

No annoucement or heads up which isin't great. You'd think the NTA would be encouraging people to download their own real time app instead.

Realistically they need the operators to play ball with that to make any real take up happen. Last time they did a few days later DB did an even bigger campaign.

Stephen15

devnull wrote: »

Realistically they need the operators to play ball with that to make any real take up happen. Last time they did a few days later DB did an even bigger campaign.

True but it seems odd that the DB is now gone from the play store. I wonder whose idea to get rid of it was, the NTA or DB and why? Seems strange and I would like to think it seems like progress towards a unified transport brand.

marno21

Stephen15 wrote: »

True but it seems odd that the DB is now gone from the play store. I wonder whose idea to get rid of it was, the NTA or DB and why? Seems strange and I would like to think it seems like progress towards a unified transport brand.

If the NTA plan to release a TFI branded app or similar soon I would imagine they would have asked DB to remove it from the app store.