BusAras Issues

XPS_Zero

I have two questions for anyone out there who may be in the know about such things (regarding BusAras)

1. I've taken a few trips from there in the last week and the offices seem to be closed with only the Inspectors/Controllers and a young Customer Service guy present, why are the ticket offices always closed and is this permanent?

2. Are there any plans to actually renovate this place? I know BE is broke but maybe ask the NTA for funding? It's a national embarrassment as the countries main bus terminus, it's filthy, old, freezing cold, you'd want a biohazard suit to venture into those bathrooms and the floor area in general is very spartan and run down.

belfast stephen

the ticket office has been close for a good number of week and when i was using the station about a month ago the self service ticket machine were also out of order

PTH2009

I think it's stupid that they shut the place at 11pm and make people waiting for busses go outside where they could be mugged/attacked etc

They should at least have security outside after 11pm

There’s signs up in the station to say that they’ll be renovating the toilets soon. Long overdue, they’re absolutely manky.

belfast stephen

Karsini wrote: »

There’s signs up in the station to say that they’ll be renovating the toilets soon. Long overdue, they’re absolutely manky.

them signs have been up for about 2 years nothing has happend to the toilets

elperello

It's an absolute disgrace.
I'll wager Shane Ross never set foot in it.

strandroad

It could use a power wash top to bottom, and a tank of chlorine.

G_R

strandroad wrote: »

It could use a power wash top to bottom, and a tank of chlorine.

It could use a match and a carton of petrol tbh. Then just start again. Place is an absolute kip

Nomis21

The only capital city bus station in the World where the bus drivers often have to issue the tickets.

Causes delays.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Nomis21 wrote: »

The only capital city bus station in the World where the bus drivers often have to issue the tickets.

Causes delays.

You'd be amazed at how many people actually appreciate that both people local and far ! Including people from other countries who are used to being able to pay by card on bus too.

If everyone turned up in good time for their bus and also the bus turned up in good time too their shouldn't be an issue with departing on time..... In an ideal world and all that.

In regards bus station issues itself , I believe the health and safety officer was in recently over the state of the building in regards toilets, smells, cleanliness and dust etc.

Fire off a few complaints to them I think and hopefully they will force the company or building owner to take action at the state of the premises

GM228

XPS_Zero wrote: »

Are there any plans to actually renovate this place? I know BE is broke but maybe ask the NTA for funding? It's a national embarrassment as the countries main bus terminus, it's filthy, old, freezing cold, you'd want a biohazard suit to venture into those bathrooms and the floor area in general is very spartan and run down.

That would be a matter for the Dept. of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, not BE.

bk

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

In regards bus station issues itself , I believe the health and safety officer was in recently over the state of the building in regards toilets, smells, cleanliness and dust etc.

I was there a few weeks ago. In the mens toilets three of the cubicles were sealed off as out of service. So I tried one of the in service ones. If the state of the in service one was anything to go by, I can only imagine how bad the out of service ones were. Since the in-service one was overflowing with faeces! And there were lots of flies buzzing around the cubicles :eek:

It literally isn't a joke to say you need a biohazard suit to go in their.

Now I wait until I get on the bus to use the toilet (GoBE).

bk

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

If everyone turned up in good time for their bus and also the bus turned up in good time too their shouldn't be an issue with departing on time..... In an ideal world and all that.

Though I have to feel sorry for the drivers having to take online tickets. The process to input them seems to be very long and painful.

I didn't realise that the first time I used it. It took the poor driver longer to process mine and my OH's tickets then the 20 or so cash customers behind me! Sorry.

L1011

Nomis21 wrote: »

The only capital city bus station in the World where the bus drivers often have to issue the tickets.

Causes delays.

Tallinn. Although the locals all have free smart cards

elperello

GM228 wrote: »

That would be a matter for the Dept. of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, not BE.

Cue an arm wrestling match between Regina Doherty and Shane Ross:)

Dravokivich

PTH2009 wrote: »

I think it's stupid that they shut the place at 11pm and make people waiting for busses go outside where they could be mugged/attacked etc

They should at least have security outside after 11pm

There's a garda station right across the road. Someone can't be that brazen that they'll mug right outside one?

Corca Baiscinn

G_R wrote: »

It could use a match and a carton of petrol tbh. Then just start again. Place is an absolute kip

Isn't it supposed to be an iconic building though, Michael Scott design or something?
Agree it's a disgrace and not exactly a welcome mat for visitors to tour country

XPS_Zero

PTH2009 wrote: »

I think it's stupid that they shut the place at 11pm and make people waiting for busses go outside where they could be mugged/attacked etc

They should at least have security outside after 11pm

I wasn't aware they did that, this is like closing a police station at 9pm, if there are services operational then the building should be open to house the people and keep them warm.

GM228 wrote: »

That would be a matter for the Dept. of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, not BE.

This is very simple, after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the minister for transport walks over to minister for social protection "look i need you to sign a ministerial order transferring the BE sections of BusAras to Bus Eireann control and budget, do that for me yeh? Today?
Boom, now it's in NTA's budget.

bk wrote: »

Though I have to feel sorry for the drivers having to take online tickets. The process to input them seems to be very long and painful.

I didn't realise that the first time I used it. It took the poor driver longer to process mine and my OH's tickets then the 20 or so cash customers behind me! Sorry.

TRANSLINK have a great system for eTickets, you store them in an app on your phone instead of a wonky email MAC number the driver has to punch in its much easier BE should adopt that system.

elperello

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Isn't it supposed to be an iconic building though, Michael Scott design or something?
Agree it's a disgrace and not exactly a welcome mat for visitors to tour country

Yes it was very avant garde in it's day-

http://www.irisharchitectureawards.ie/gold-medal/winner/busaras

There is a small theatre in the basement-

https://www.dublininquirer.com/2017/08/29/below-busaras-an-old-theatre-worth-revisiting/

Shameful neglect of a public building.

Patser

There are port-a-loos after being placed here yesterday, as a stop gap as it's planned to close off the Gents tomorrow and completely gut and replace them.

Start of the proper refurbishment of station hopefully

tooManyChoices

I think BusAras is a lovely but horribly neglected building.
It's a nice design when you step back and take a look at it, is bright and airy on the inside and has lovely little design touches like the bronze work and tiling.

Bugger me is it dirty though and the toilets are like day-3 of a music festival.

...and how much of the building is really used? I can't imagine that the demand on physical space for administration is as big as it used to be? Could this not be fitted into no more than 1/3 of the building?

I'd love to see:
-the toilets moved to the ground floor.
- the restaurants moved to the mezzanine level with the existing offices moved somewhere else in the building
- the kiosks removed, with maybe one coffee-dock on the ground-floor
- them to use the small waiting area in the back for late buses, with the main hall closed off
- most of the rest of the building turned into a travel hotel.

I've always wanted to know how much basement there is there too?

L1011

Bring back the bar, all will be solved by that one move....


The upstairs of the building is NOT administration for Bus Eireann, its the Department of Social Protection. BE have likely some unused space (the old parcels office may be empty for instance) and there is at least part of the theatre in the basement left but nowhere near as much as you think

Corca Baiscinn

L1011 wrote: »

Bring back the bar, all will be solved by that one move....


The upstairs of the building is NOT administration for Bus Eireann, its the Department of Social Protection. BE have likely some unused space (the old parcels office may be empty for instance) and there is at least part of the theatre in the basement left but nowhere near as much as you think

Is parcels office same as left luggage they used to have? Haven't been there for a while but replacement basement luggage lockers were invariably out of order too so that 's more free space but think beside toilets! Was the Theatre called the Eblana? Overall condition is a shameful reflection on two Gov/Semi State outfits

L1011

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Is parcels office same as left luggage they used to have? Haven't been there for a while but replacement basement luggage lockers were invariably out of order too so that 's more free space but think beside toilets! Was the Theatre called the Eblana? Overall condition is a shameful reflection on two Gov/Semi State outfits

Parcels was street level out on to Store Street, ended in the mid 00s. Can't remember the old left luggage; there's a panic about them as 'security risks' these days. The theatre was the Eblana yes.

GM228

L1011 wrote: »

The theatre was the Eblana yes.

For anyone interested there is actually an exhibition about the architectural and performance history of the Eblana this Saturday in Dublin City Library and Archive between 11am-12pm.

http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-culture-and-amenities-dublin-city-public-libraries-and-archive-events/eblana



Also interesting to note it nearly became home of the Fry Model Railway a few years ago.

https://independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/bus-eireann-submitted-only-suitable-proposal-27816183.html

Dravokivich

L1011 wrote: »

Bring back the bar, all will be solved by that one move....


The upstairs of the building is NOT administration for Bus Eireann, its the Department of Social Protection. BE have likely some unused space (the old parcels office may be empty for instance) and there is at least part of the theatre in the basement left but nowhere near as much as you think

Have you seen that or heard it anywhere specific? I was reading of it earlier in the week and it appears that such comments are rumours and it's meant to be fairly intact, it's just that it wasn't of any significant size in the first place.

elperello

Dravokivich wrote: »

Have you seen that or heard it anywhere specific? I was reading of it earlier in the week and it appears that such comments are rumours and it's meant to be fairly intact, it's just that it wasn't of any significant size in the first place.

This link that I posted earlier indicates that the theatre is still recoverable.

https://www.dublininquirer.com/2017/08/29/below-busaras-an-old-theatre-worth-revisiting/

L1011

I meant nowhere near as much unused space, not bits of the theatre specifically

drake70

elperello wrote: »

Cue an arm wrestling match between Regina Doherty and Shane Ross:)

My money is on Regina

server down

There are far worse bus stations in the world. It’s fairly bright and airy inside.

elperello

server down wrote: »

There are far worse bus stations in the world. It’s fairly bright and airy inside.

You are right there. I've been in some very grim places.

However, we are lucky to have such an airy and bright iconic building and it's a shame that we have let it deteriorate.