Kilkenny bus service

Local polloticans please do not let this service be lost to Kilkenny due to mindless thugs on the Hebron road.

Absolute Zero

Anyone know what happened and who the culprits were?

Is this another case of "can't have anything nice here"... The Hebron side of town has become some ****hole in recent years and it's getting worse. What a sight tourists are offered when they come off the motorway into the "medieval city".

The buses are empty nearly every time I see them. It's a shame they have the country shut down, they never got a chance to be used really.

Not much more can be said on the issue. The buses might never be back now.

Comerman

Scum
https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/home/608581/horrific-ordeal-as-kilkenny-bus-attacked-three-times-in-one-evening-in-same-area.html

BoroMan32

Usual suspects, I'm afraid. They've been throwing stones at cars over that way for a while now on and off.

Hopefully the earlier incident in the Loughboy area was a one off.

kenn0

BoroMan32 wrote: »

Usual suspects, I'm afraid. They've been throwing stones at cars over that way for a while now on and off.

Hopefully the earlier incident in the Loughboy area was a one off.

What happened in Loughboy?

BoroMan32

kenn0 wrote: »

What happened in Loughboy?

A couple of months ago there was something thrown at one of the buses which smashed a window.

hi5

I'm wondering where the CoCo are getting the money to run empty busses.
No rates coming in from businesses, car parks are empty so no cash from there, vehicle licencing way down due to lower emission taxes

Dymo

hi5 wrote: »

I'm wondering where the CoCo are getting the money to run empty busses.
No rates coming in from businesses, car parks are empty so no cash from there, vehicle licencing way down due to lower emission taxes

Property taxes went up.

hi5

hi5 wrote: »

I'm wondering where the CoCo are getting the money to run empty busses.
No rates coming in from businesses, car parks are empty so no cash from there, vehicle licencing way down due to lower emission taxes

They can only carry half of what they are allowed to carry due to covid, it was a service that was going well up to covid .

barneygumble99

I usually walk the ring road on a Friday afternoon because we finish work early. The bus passes me regularly on my >2 hour walk and there is never more than 2 or 3 on the buses. It’s losing money hand over foot when you consider paying a driver, diesel, tax , insurance, depreciation etc and a lot of the time I see people actually waiting at the bus stops, they look like they are due free travel.

BorneTobyWilde

Even when things were normal there was only a few on the bus. Great service, but lets get real, the buses are FAR too big. They should have buses half the size,,, with half the emissions

BorneTobyWilde

As for smashing the windows, that's simply a case of '' we ride for free, or we smash your windows''

All the businesses in Hebron pay money to '' them'' for protection from their businesses getting targeted

BorneTobyWilde

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Even when things were normal there was only a few on the bus. Great service, but lets get real, the buses are FAR too big. They should have buses half the size,,, with half the emissions

They are the smallest there is, you must remember they only started a month or two before the pandemic no tourists, people working from home, children home from school.

Captain Havoc

I don't understand how anyone can judge the performance of businesses at the moment. Most are down and some are up, some businesses like supermarkets and takeaways are cleaning up. These performances both negative and positive, won't last as demands and needs shift back to what they were.

Geog1234

It's my understanding that the council were involved in the design of the routes, stop infrastructure et cetera...but in terms of funding the city routes are funded as PSO (Public Service Obligation) routes by the National Transport Authority in same the way as the majority of Bus Éireann routes (except Expressway) and the entire rail network are PSO.

These PSO routes are regarded in terms of the greater benefits they bring...social inclusion, reducing car usage/traffic etc...rather than on a profit/loss basis though,of course, there are great variations in the level of patronage enjoyed (or not as the case may be) by different PSO routes.

bamayang

It would be madness to review the success of the buses based on last 12 months. COVID has devoured the demand for such a service.
I pass the buses a lot and there are always small numbers on them, but that is to be expected for IMO 3+ years. This is going to be a loss leader for a time, but once it starts to break even it will thrive.

Up to last year you had no bus service, so anyone living on one side of town and working on the other had to make other arrangements, own car, get a lift, taxi etc.
But now that the bus is in place people can plan in to use it, the demand will grow and grow every year. I would imagine it will be thriving in about 5 years time.

These things take time, lots and lots of time, but you can’t assess them as a going concern, as you would a private business. There job is not to make money, they are to improve the life experience of the inhabitants.

cloudhopper19

I am surprised the bus service is still operating to certain parts given the continued attacks and vandalism by certain "kids" living next to McDonalds who are allowed seemingly to damage the buses with rocks 5 times in 1 month. Driver was on today talking to KCLR. Gardai need to get tougher with them.

BorneTobyWilde

One of those bus drivers is an absolute tool. Can imagine a lot is down to him thinking he can win a war against them. <mod snip>, drives like a loonie, and thinks he owns the road.

The most idiotic statement i have heard , the man is given a route by the people in charge and you reckon a lot is down to him thinking he can win the war against them . That side of town is been taken over by these people no body seems to wont to do anything about it , blaming the bus driver is crazy he has his route to drive passengers to look after. Why dont they stop the route going by this area like they do in Dublin until this problem is sorted.

Cabaal

I'm starting to think the more media attention given to this bus damage the more it encourages it,

Also, blaming the bus drivers for driving the route he's employed to drive is just downright stupid beyond belief!

BorneTobyWilde

Cabaal wrote: »

I'm starting to think the more media attention given to this bus damage the more it encourages it,

Also, blaming the bus drivers for driving the route he's employed to drive is just downright stupid beyond belief!

Not blaming. I just think on of those drivers is a tool. Lets get real you can't win against those who have no rules, and standing up to them is pointless, only brings more aggro .
My real point is way he drives, how he thinks he owns the road, and the death stares he gives anyone who gets in his way. Comes across as a mad man.

Sounds a little paronid on your part.

Cabaal

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Not blaming. I just think on of those drivers is a tool. Lets get real you can't win against those who have no rules, and standing up to them is pointless, only brings more aggro .
My real point is way he drives, how he thinks he owns the road, and the death stares he gives anyone who gets in his way. Comes across as a mad man.

I think you are being paranoid as already being pointed out
:rolleyes:

The driver is doing his job doing the route he's doing, end of. The driver also has to deal with lots of complete idiots parking in stupid places or pulling out infront of him at stupid times which makes driving his route difficult.

I don't even live in the city but twice now while I've been in town I've had to approach motorists and get them to move because the bus couldn't get by due to the motorist's idiotic double parking.