Luas Cross City Launch Discussion

fritzelly

yer man! wrote: »

Unfortunately in Ireland traffic enforcement cameras are completely controlled and constructed by the gardai. The DCC told me it wasn't under there remit to facilitate, plan, construct or control them and it would fully have to come from the gardai. With the state of the guards I think we'll be waiting a while before we see any actual technological enforcement for bus lanes or luas junctions.

Really?
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/drivers-who-block-luas-may-face-automatic-fines-and-penalty-points-1.3315088

Just needs the will to get on with it and not just for Luas, many a junction needs them. The amount of red light breakers I see in the city in one day alone is staggering.

And the yellow box at Trinity College/Luas is like a magnet for taxis trying to squeeze in.

BonnieSituation

fritzelly wrote: »

Really?
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/drivers-who-block-luas-may-face-automatic-fines-and-penalty-points-1.3315088

Just needs the will to get on with it and not just for Luas, many a junction needs them. The amount of red light breakers I see in the city in one day alone is staggering.

And the yellow box at Trinity College/Luas is like a magnet for taxis trying to squeeze in.

I was on a 66 bus earlier and as I waited to turn right onto Westmoreland St the traffic from the lights at College Green back to Doyles was as follows...

BUS > TAXI > TAXI > 181 D Private Nissan Qashqai > BUS > TAXI...

There's a huge sign pointing all non PSV traffic to the right and yet...

Enforcement from the Fleet St and Tara St junctions to College Green needs to be upped and needs to be visible. Having a guard popping out at you at the statue is pointless. This CITY!!!!

fritzelly

BonnieSituation wrote: »

I was on a 66 bus earlier and as I waited to turn right onto Westmoreland St the traffic from the lights at College Green back to Doyles was as follows...

BUS > TAXI > TAXI > 181 D Private Nissan Qashqai > BUS > TAXI...

There's a huge sign pointing all non PSV traffic to the right and yet...

Enforcement from the Fleet St and Tara St junctions to College Green needs to be upped and needs to be visible. Having a guard popping out at you at the statue is pointless. This CITY!!!!

Yep just riles you up sometimes. Been late to work twice this week and just thought to myself if only no taxis. Just make it full on bus only, in the UK on some bus only lanes they have big bumps in the road so only buses can drive down them - anyone else driving down them would be like the dodgems

fritzelly

Going into work this morning there was a garda posted on Dame St (think he was posted anyway)
Not a taxi going thru College Green bar one private BMW driver

Anyone know what the story was there? Have they been reading the thread and followed my comment?
Unfortunately wasn't able to see if he was actually stopping cars

markpb

fritzelly wrote: »

Going into work this morning there was a garda posted on Dame St (think he was posted anyway)
Not a taxi going thru College Green bar one private BMW driver

Anyone know what the story was there? Have they been reading the thread and followed my comment?
Unfortunately wasn't able to see if he was actually stopping cars

This is how road policing works in Ireland. Pick a thing and enforce it for a day or weekend. Then business as usual for the next few weeks. Today is was college green, tomorrow it will be speeding in some random suburb, next back holiday it will be drink driving.

fritzelly

Was interested in if he was stopping anyone there

Dyr

While they're at it they could have someone from the traffic corpse in Pearse Street stick their head up from the daily star to notice that nearly every luas that goes past is blocking the whole junction outside their station

such sophisticated surveillance might be beyond them though

fritzelly

Bambi wrote: »

While they're at it they could have someone from the traffic corpse in Pearse Street stick their head up from the daily star to notice that nearly every luas that goes past is blocking the whole junction outside their station

such sophisticated surveillance might be beyond them though

That would then make them accountable for the parked cars outside the station...but I've never seen a Luas blocking the junction, the whole point of it is to allow free clearance for the Luas to the boarding area so not so sure what you mean.

Jamie2k9

Bambi wrote: »

While they're at it they could have someone from the traffic corpse in Pearse Street stick their head up from the daily star to notice that nearly every luas that goes past is blocking the whole junction outside their station

such sophisticated surveillance might be beyond them though

Buses and taxi's usually block the box so they can't get a clear run...

fritzelly

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Buses and taxi's usually block the box so they can't get a clear run...

Find the buses are courteous enough not to, taxis on the other hand different matter who then in turn screw it up for buses trying to get in to the lane

kmart6

May not be the right thread for this but don't think it warrants starting a new one, has there been announced change of service on the Red Line recently? Trams on the Saggart line have now been going direct to The Point for the last month or so. They aren't changing between one going to Connolly and the next to The Point, could have 3 to The Point, 2 to Connolly and then back to The Point.

Have also noticed more gaps in service appearing, not sure if it is due to this. Getting on one yesterday at Fortunestown during the morning commute and the next tram wasn't going to be for 20 minutes. The trams in the morning direct into town seem to be starting later with the shuttle to Belgard lasting longer, can't find anywhere on the Luas website when the first tram into town departs now, from memory I thought it used to be around 6:30 but seems to after 7 now.

Jamie2k9

kmart6 wrote: »

May not be the right thread for this but don't think it warrants starting a new one, has there been announced change of service on the Red Line recently? Trams on the Saggart line have now been going direct to The Point for the last month or so. They aren't changing between one going to Connolly and the next to The Point, could have 3 to The Point, 2 to Connolly and then back to The Point.

Have also noticed more gaps in service appearing, not sure if it is due to this. Getting on one yesterday at Fortunestown during the morning commute and the next tram wasn't going to be for 20 minutes. The trams in the morning direct into town seem to be starting later with the shuttle to Belgard lasting longer, can't find anywhere on the Luas website when the first tram into town departs now, from memory I thought it used to be around 6:30 but seems to after 7 now.

New schedule introduced in June. More services from Saggart to Point (was only peak tines) and Tallaght to Connolly.

They now run every second tram from Tallaght/Saggart terminus Connolly/Point.

kmart6

Oh ok, didn't see that anywhere. Do you have a link to it by any any chance? They definitely haven't got the every second one down yet!

Jamie2k9

kmart6 wrote: »

Oh ok, didn't see that anywhere. Do you have a link to it by any any chance? They definitely haven't got the every second one down yet!

Look at TFI journey planner, the every second was more an observation on my part. There is times when 2 go to Saggart followed by 1 to Tallaght from the point.

LuckyLloyd

Has the Green line service improved? I lost confidence in it a few months ago and changed a few things so I no longer use the service.

LeChienMefiant

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Has the Green line service improved? I lost confidence in it a few months ago and changed a few things so I no longer use the service.

It's almost perfect. Sometimes very busy, but nothing like it was. Annoyances like real time info being out and service gaps like today too. I'm traveling southbound in morning though.

kmart6

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Look at TFI journey planner, the every second was more an observation on my part. There is times when 2 go to Saggart followed by 1 to Tallaght from the point.

Ah ok, strange they would make such a change to service and not announce it anywhere. It's a bit of a pain in the evenings now, always knew that trams at Connolly were going to Saggart and would be empty, now have to check between there and George's Dock which tends to be full. First world problems I know.

Jamie2k9

Poor tram drivers on Green Line not happy about lunch at different depots. SIPTU using the industrial action card however LC sided with company and the pay deal agreed two years ago.

Stephen15

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Poor tram drivers on Green Line not happy about lunch at different depots. SIPTU using the industrial action card however LC sided with company and the pay deal agreed two years ago.

And people make the NBRU out to be the more backward union. SIPTU have a similar agreement with Go-Ahead so I wonder will they insist all breaks are taken in Ballymount. DB drivers have been taking their breaks at various different locations other than their depots for years. By the sounds of things the workplace culture is even worse in Transdev than any of the CIE companies.

Jamie2k9

Stephen15 wrote: »

And people make the NBRU out to be the more backward union. SIPTU have a similar agreement with Go-Ahead so I wonder will they insist all breaks are taken in Ballymount. DB drivers have been taking their breaks at various different locations other than their depots for years. By the sounds of things the workplace culture is even worse in Transdev than any of the CIE companies.

Wouldn't say its a bad place to work, what is different is they run a tight ship and there is accountability which lacks in CIE. All private operators are the same.

SIPTU are big on petty things like this, NBRU more hardliner on bigger changes but prepared to sell out staff quicker when around the table.

fritzelly

The union raised concerns about drivers’ capacity to carry food safely from their originating depots to the depots where they were scheduled to take their breaks.

Since when is it's the companies problem what someone does with their lunch and how it's transported.
I'm seriously mystified why this is even brought up. When I was a kid I remember my ma making up sandwiches and into a sandwich box and on his merry way he went. Are we talking sushi, caviar...meals here? They should be demanding that the company pays for Deliveroo to provide them their meals to where ever they happen to be in a "moving" business. FFS, unions taking the piss. Or is that employees taking the piss and unions backing them up.

Stephen15

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Wouldn't say its a bad place to work, what is different is they run a tight ship and there is accountability which lacks in CIE. All private operators are the same.

What I meant more is that that is that the attitude of Luas staff seems to be worse than that of CIE staff. Luas staff particularly the ticket inspectors come across to me as being ruder than their DB counterparts for example. I have also witnessed driver changeovers at Sandyford depot taking as long as if not longer than a DB handover at Donnybrook due the drivers having a chat.

MOH

Stephen15 wrote: »

What I meant more is that that is that the attitude of Luas staff seems to be worse than that of CIE staff. Luas staff particularly the ticket inspectors come across to me as being ruder than their DB counterparts for example. I have also witnessed driver changeovers at Sandyford depot taking as long as if not longer than a DB handover at Donnybrook due the drivers having a chat.

I've found Luas ticket inspectors to be infinitely more friendly and helpful than their DB counterparts. Haven't experienced Luas driver changeovers, but I've sat on plenty of buses waiting for the drivers to finish their conversation.

LuckyLloyd

Stephen15 wrote: »

What I meant more is that that is that the attitude of Luas staff seems to be worse than that of CIE staff. Luas staff particularly the ticket inspectors come across to me as being ruder than their DB counterparts for example. I have also witnessed driver changeovers at Sandyford depot taking as long as if not longer than a DB handover at Donnybrook due the drivers having a chat.

Well, they know Transdev buckled the last time, so they may well chance their arm for more.

Idbatterim

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well, they know Transdev buckled the last time, so they may well chance their arm for more.

I agree, they are spineless! Ive said it before and Ill say it again, when workers choose to strike, why let them make all the decisions? Shut down on your quieter days and play them at their own game, see how long they take the piss for...

LuckyLloyd

Idbatterim wrote: »

I agree, they are spineless! Ive said it before and Ill say it again, when workers choose to strike, why let them make all the decisions? Shut down on your quieter days and play them at their own game, see how long they take the piss for...

We heard it all with the last strike. I think this issue is ridiculous but the fundamental point remains: they have the leverage. I know many people of a certain ideology crave transdev or Ryanair or whoever in a situation like this to lock them all out, put them on notice and strike some great blow against Unions at great expense. But pragmatism comes into play. Transdev have money to make and the cost of forcing an issue is enormous. Both sides know this.

The Labour Court ruling is pretty clear: if Transdev are providing something it should do what it is intended to do (as ridiculous as the LC discussing lunch boxes might be) and they should be - over time - aiming to make facilities at all depots roughly equivalent. Hopefully Transdev will commit to that and the drivers will see sense. We'll see.

Jamie2k9

Stephen15 wrote: »

What I meant more is that that is that the attitude of Luas staff seems to be worse than that of CIE staff. Luas staff particularly the ticket inspectors come across to me as being ruder than their DB counterparts for example. I have also witnessed driver changeovers at Sandyford depot taking as long as if not longer than a DB handover at Donnybrook due the drivers having a chat.

Not had any bad experience with them or IE really. DB ticket inspectors are "jobs for the boys", biggest waste of time and money but typical CIE.

RTE say only 12 drivers are effected Mon-Sat. Nothing will come of it because you can't call vote for a single depot especially when Luas drivers can and are required to drive either line as the operator requires.