New Carlow town bus service

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121242584#Comment_121242584

Agree with pretty much everything you've said. I use the TFIgo app with the student fare. €0.55 for 90mins of travel is amazing value! I'd say I've taught the bulk of drivers how the app works!!

On the stop before Dunnes, Sleaty Street i think they've it down as, (Sleaty Road is the name.) The printed timetables are on the wrong sides! The one on the left towards Dunnes shows the timetable towards town and vice versa! I'd say it's not a big issue since the bus has to pass you on both sides anyway so the driver will just say to go to the other side.

Great to see loads of people on the busses too!

Also isn't it mad to say that we Carlovians with our 6am/12:30am operation have longer running hours for our busses than Galway/Limerick/Cork! Or even some BÁC services too!

A fantastic service from TFI/Bus Éireann.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121242584#Comment_121242584

If you don't want to pay for a LEAP card, why don't you use the TFI Go app which has the same fares?

Nokia6230i

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121244014#Comment_121244014

Tech Luddite; don't have smartphone.

Subsequently purchased Leap card in Gala upon return & will be using it going forward; far more efficient than foostering about for money & delaying other passengers; the "Cash is King" types won't be happy but that's the reality & convenience of Leap Cards.

As an aside coming back yesterday afternoon from Dunnes two vehicles were parked in left turning lane on Sleaty St. right at the bridge where the bus has to swing out anyway to come up over it & into town; obstructions like that are what would delay the bus & not the actual bus itself as some negatives seem to think.

Lastly to say because we're such a small town the efficiency of the service is so reliable in my experience; services I've used have been within 1-3 minutes of each other in terms of departure & arrival; another positive.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121242705#Comment_121242705

Cork has the 220 that runs 24 hours

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121246483#Comment_121246483

Fair enough but that's an outlier. The rest of them seem to be 6/6:30 until 11/11:30.

Geog1234

Service Disruption to Carlow Town Services for Tuesday 14th November 2023.

Please be advised of the following service disruptions for Tuesday 14th November 2023.

Route: CW1, CW2 – operating at a reduced frequency between 08:40 - 12:00.

Bus Éireann regret any inconveience caused to our passengers.

Tuesday, 14th November, 2023

https://www.buseireann.ie/service_updates.php?id=7753&month=Nov

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366001#Comment_121366001

Once again Bus Eireann are showing their contempt for their customers by not bothering to supply anything in the way of useful information about service disruption.

This is the kind of thing the NTA should be getting their claws out on, and if the operator still doesn't give useful customer facing information, tender the route out to someone who will.

Nokia6230i

10,000 trips taken per week now as per NTA figures to the council delivered at monthly meeting (Citation; Cllr. Fintan Phelan/KCLR Daily/Wednesday morning 15th of November); Cllr. Phelan & others also flagged a communication be made to NTA to increase capacity/frequency at peak times during monthly meeting this week.

Also raised issue of increasing routes from 2 to 3 or 4 and serving areas such as Castle Oaks, Burrin Rd. & Graiguecullen.

mikeybhoy

I saw an ad on Facebook recently that BE are having an open night for drivers in Mullingar. Possibly getting ready for the next new town service

mikeybhoy

New Clonmel Service launched https://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/new-town-bus-service-launches-in-clonmel/

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121483671#Comment_121483671

I wonder why their busses look like that. Looks more like the taxi-ish ones that operate some LocalLink routes as opposed to a normal town bus!

Edit: An easy answer to this. Because the service is operated by TFI LocalLink! I won't give up my dayjob just yet....

devnull

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121488062#Comment_121488062

Here's another better photo

tippfm.jpg

Photo from tippfm.com/news/transport/clonmel-bus-service-hits-streets/

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121488092#Comment_121488092

Jaysus they look rotten haha! Obviously it doesn't matter since it's public transport but that colour scheme in combination with the shape....

I also wonder why it's only 60 minutes frequency too and €1.35 on Leap vs €1.10 on Leap in Carlow

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121488092#Comment_121488092

Interesting to see the operator name on the off-side as well, wonder if that's being rolled out to all the TFI Liveryed buses 🤔

Nokia6230i

Got CW2 again over weekend; still somewhat baffled by it ending & starting at MLM in Barrow Valley Retail Pk.; I'm presuming the issue is that's a pubic road & that beyond the roundabout further up it's private property & so no TfI/NTA stop could be put closer to where main body of footfall is going?

Also begs the question, and it may be down to simply a lack of space on other side but why no bus stop on the return going down if that makes sense?

Like opposite or up/down from Ml. Lyng Motors on the other side; or is it a case of no matter what, that road is still too narrow to accommodate both a drop off and pick up stop on both sides of road so instead one stop does both?

Incl. the Local Links, CW 1 & 2 in both directions, JJs, Bus Eireann, Wexford Bus it's fantastic to see the bus park has become a significant transport hub; the coffee shop, formerly a JJ Kavanaghs office with then, as now, a publicly accessible toilet within it (albeit I suspect I'd put an "Out Of Order" sign given some of the clientele who frequent the bus park with no intention of going anywhere......!!!) should be thriving and would be an ideal spot to provide a paid for printing service for tickets for those who don't so smartphones etc.

I'd imagine morning times in particular & Fridays from lunchtime to evening times're pretty hectic.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121488062#Comment_121488062

Looks like the service seems to be some sort of hybrid between Local Link and a town service similar to Carlow, Kilkenny etc. Btw it's operated by JJ Kavanagh.

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121489374#Comment_121489374

Agree with what you're saying. Surely you'd think Dunnes/Mr Price/the owners of the retail park would be only too happy to have a bus stop closer to them. Especially since the bus goes up anyway to turn around!

I would assume that that was the original plan since the stops from Brotherton to Dunnes are barely 100m apart! Also the fact it's down as "Sleaty Street" when it's Sleaty Road is strange. Sleaty Street is further down!

Happy to see the routes/times are on Google Maps now too!

Geog1234

Service Disruption to Carlow Town Services for Wednesday 20th December 2023.

Please be advised of the following service disruptions for Wednesday 20th December 2023.

Route: CW1 – operating at a reduced frequency between 15:55 - 19:30

Bus Éireann regret any inconvenience caused to our passengers.

Wednesday, 20th December, 2023

Source:

https://www.buseireann.ie/service_updates.php?id=7873&month=Dec

Nokia6230i

Clonmels bus services're up & running; THREE bus routes for a town, according to Google, of 17,140 v Carlow 24,272 (I await CSO/Census 2022 correction on both counts) from 6am to almost midnight & 2,300 journeys made already in only a week; very impressive.

Investment was 1 Million Euros; how much was for Carlows can anyone remind me please?

https://tippfm.com/news/transport/clonmel-town-bus-service-carries-2300-passengers-first-week/?fbclid=IwAR1pI1NODsKNdrQSJmPRfiDE18otm5LkhjuiLVfLnHx0MvesnTuv3PZbcro

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121520828#Comment_121520828

It’s really only two bus routes in Clonmel. The third is an early morning / late night hybrid of the two main routes.

mikeybhoy

Add to that both routes in Carlow operate a 30 minute frequency whereas both routes in Clonmel operate an hourly frequency. So Carlow is definitely better served.

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121520828#Comment_121520828

Carlow has a population of 27,351, this includes Graiguecullen, Carlow as it forms part of Carlow Town.

Carlow is definitely better served by the TFI bus.

questionmark?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121520892#Comment_121520892

There is a third route (route 356) now serving the wider Clonmel urban area (Marfield, Old Bridge etc...) which was implemented at the same time. Although it only runs 5 times per day it is included in the 90 minute fare structure so you can transfer onto the the town routes on the same ticket.

Geog1234

A reduced service for most of today:

Service Disruption in Carlow Town, Saturday 30th December 2023

Service Disruption in Carlow Town, Saturday 30th December 2023.We wish to advise Customers of the following service disruptions.

Route: CW1

Route CW1 will operate at a reduced frequency from 0740 until 1355hrs.

Route: CW2 

Route CW2 will operate at a reduced frequency from 1330 until 1900hrs.

Bus Éireann regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Saturday, 30th December, 2023

Source:

Service Updates - Bus Éireann - View Ireland Bus and Coach Timetables & Buy Tickets (buseireann.ie)

Geog1234

Service Disruption in Carlow Town, Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Service Disruption in Carlow Town, Tuesday 2nd January 2024

We wish to advise Customers of the following service disruptions.

Route: CW1

Route CW1 will operate at a reduced frequency from 1030 until 2000hrs.

Route: CW2 

Route CW2 will operate at a reduced frequency from 1030 until 1900hrs.

Bus Éireann regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Tuesday, 2nd January, 2024

Source:

Service Updates - Bus Éireann - View Ireland Bus and Coach Timetables & Buy Tickets (buseireann.ie)

LXFlyer

Given that there’s disruption across the network every day, I’m not sure what’s the point of the last couple of posts?

Geog1234

As I understand it this thread is for discussing all aspects of the Carlow Town Service therefore the posts are for both information (not everyone looks at BÉ/TFI) and for reference. While it is true there are cancellations across the network it isn't something that should have to be accepted by the travelling public. Regular cancellations/ reduced frequency undermines public confidence in bus services.

Nokia6230i

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563356#Comment_121563356

Thanks for this, especially that last bit.

I've been banging the drum on this regularly; the phrase "game changer" is one I've trotted out regularly in praise of it from when the idea was only in gestation to the period when the routes & stops etc. went out for public consultation.

As someone who doesn't do smartphones the BE or TfI Apps aren't useful for me; Real Time Information display boards at every stop if possible would be ideal; however I'm also aware they may well be vandalised so at the pinch points of beginning & end of CW 1 & 2 routes, at bus park, would be a compromise; the bus park is a serious transport hub now.

I use actual hard copy, printed off timetables which I carry with me.

So yes, knowing that frequency is being reduced for a period of time on here is important to me; it's frustrating & disappointing as it most certainly damages my confidence in using the service; I do check in here in advance anytime I'm going for the bus to point x or y so I appreciate these updates here & thanks.

The thoughts of standing round Kennedy Ave. or bus park or the extremities of both routes & not knowing if or when bus will arrive & depart will dent confidence in users.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563356#Comment_121563356

I fully agree with the customer confidence issue, but that’s down to the NTA proceeding with service launches when the operators clearly can’t staff them. I’m not really sure what the travelling public can do about that except lobby the politicians to make sure staffing levels are adequate before services are launched.

I just think you’ll end up with this thread full of no discussions or comment, but rather a long list of copied and pasted cancellation notices, which, given the ongoing staffing problems across the network, are happening on a near daily basis.

feargantae

We're coming up on 9 months of the bus running. Just curious what are yee thinking a potential CW3 or even CW4 route might look like?

Personally I could see one incorporating more of the Graiguecullen side of town, maybe one starting from Spar/Doyles of the Shamrock? Or an orbital route even?