X-buses - anomalies re pick-up and drop-off stops

Hippodrome Song Owl

I understand and appreciate the general idea behind pick-up and drop-off only stops on express routes in Dublin to prevent it from being clogged up with short-hop journeys and to reduce delays. But surely there's a case to be made that if an X bus gets you from A to B, then it should also get you from B to A?

I recently became aware that the Celbridge express routes (X27 and X28) will bring you from Celbridge to Liffey Valley, but they will not pick up at LV so they're not an option for the return journey. This strikes me as bizarre, given LV is a major stop (buses going outside the Dublin region, for example, all pick up here, and it's a significant interchange stop) andespecially in the context of inadequate capacity on the C-spine (particularly bad on the C4 to Celbridge). Also given Celbridge is still a significant distance to go from LV with Lucan traffic causing delays. Meanwhile, the X routes are regularly half empty outbound at LV.

This makes no sense to me. Where is the best place to raise this so it can be reconsidered?

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058360001/x-buses-anomalies-re-pick-up-and-drop-off-stops

Not an express route, but similar scenario - the 133 has an outbound stop between UCD and Stillorgan (at the Talbot Hotel), but no equivalent inbound stop.

Fizzy Duck

I would presume it is because passengers will use them to travel between the City and Liffey Valley, taking a seat from a passenger travelling further. I've only driven a 39X once and that was the explanation given to us for similar anomalies.

john boye

Different case but The 77X has an inbound journey in the morning but no corresponding departure in the evening. Always found that odd

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122389507#Comment_122389507

But they already do - the outbound X routes all drop-off at LV, just not pick up.

Muller1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122389575#Comment_122389575

Travelled on the route for years and to be fair it wasn't much of an express route either only skipping two stops more or less the entire route from Tallaght into town. Before Network Direct happened there was an evening service a long with the 50x 15c 15d and the 15f. They where cancelled when the 54a, 65b where re routed through Aylesbury and Kiltipper etc. The 50x was cancelled when the 15 min frequency appeared on the 27. replacing both the 50 and 77.

john boye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122390823#Comment_122390823

I've noticed that it usually just stops at any stop, negating any benefits.

Yes I remember all that, there was a 49x too and even the seldom seen 65x at one stage. Just weird how the 77X ended up without a return.

Muller1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122391161#Comment_122391161

It's been over 10 years since I've travelled on it but as far as I remember the only stop it skips is the one just after the Halfway house in Walkinstown and is set down only from there until the Central Bank.

Hippodrome Song Owl

Well, I contacted the NTA to request the X-routes pick up passengers outbound at Liffey Valley. My suggestion has now been put on file in a filing cabinet with the "relevant department". Apparently feedback is reviewed regularly and, "I can assure you", taken in a serious manner! At least I got a response I suppose.

Glencarraig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122389115#Comment_122389115

I have regularly used the 133 from Wicklow town and always ask the driver to let me off at Brewery Road, never have been refused.

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397265#Comment_122397265

The few times I've used it, it's been hit or miss if the driver agrees to let me off at an unofficial stop.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122389575#Comment_122389575

Same with the 46e. 2 inbound buses in the morning and nothing in the evening.

halfpastneverr

69X has a weird routing where it serves the Green Isle & Camac Valley inbound in the morning, but just goes straight up the N7 in the evenings and nowhere near either. Have seen a few tourists get caught out by it. Also suffers from the usual X route problem of drivers new to the route stopping at every bus stop, negating the point of the X service & higher fare.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122409165#Comment_122409165

Can hardly blame the drivers for doing this easier to just let people off than arguing