Route 139 Naas to Blanchardstown Launches 12th Mar

devnull · 05-03-2018 8:12pm #1

Transport for Ireland will launch the new 139 bus service connecting Naas and Blanchardstown on Monday March 12th.

Operated by JJ Kavanagh, the new orbital route will service the northern half of Kildare with 9 services daily bringing Naas, Sallins, Clane, Rathcoffey, Maynooth, Leixlip and Blanchardstown a whole lot closer.

So if you’re hitting the road for Blanchardstown, Naas or anywhere in between for work or leisure then hop on the new 139 coming your way from Monday March 12th

Full Timetable and fares Leaflet

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/new-139-bus-service-linking-naas-blanchardstown-begins-operation-12th-march/

A brand-new bus route, the 139 will begin operation Monday 12 March, running between Naas and Blanchardstown and connecting Blanchardstown IT, Ongar, Leixlip, Maynooth, Rathcoffey, Clane, Sallins and Naas, including Naas Hospital.

There will be nine services each way, seven days a week, with first departures at 07.15 and last departures at 22.35.

The 139 is a National Transport Authority (NTA) initiative and will be run for NTA as a Public Service Obligation (PSO) by JJ Kavanagh & Sons under the ‘Transport For Ireland’ brand.

‘Transport For Ireland’ or TFI is the single public transport brand which the NTA has developed to promote and integrate public transport in Ireland.

As a PSO route, fares for the service are set by NTA, and are fully consistent with fares on similar journeys elsewhere on the bus network in the Greater Dublin Area. Schedules and timetables are also set by NTA.

NTA Chief Executive Officer Anne Graham said: “When analysing public transport in the north Kildare/ west Dublin area, we came to the conclusion that there was a demand for a bus service that would link significant population and activity centres such as Naas, Maynooth and Blanchardstown.

Thanks to the 139, moving along this corridor between these centres will now be easier than ever. The 139 offers a convenient way for students in Blanchardstown IT and NUI Maynooth to get to campus, for example.

It also offers a public transport alternative for shoppers in places like Leixlip who want to go to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, where it interconnects with over a dozen Dublin Bus services.

Leixlip is also a significant hub of economic activity, and the 139 will serve the Intel facility and other major employers in the area.

We also believe that the 139 will prove to be of great benefit to people all along the route whether they want to take a short journey or a long one, and with Leap fares starting at €2.10, it is a great value offering.”

Zebra3 · 06-03-2018 11:28am

Good stuff. They should highlight the connections with the train lines too.

L1011 · 06-03-2018 11:51am

Extended to IT Blanch from the original proposal - extremely odd exclusion to begin with. Will likely take a lot of students from Maynooth/Leixlip off the train at least in bad weather as the walk is not fun.

munchkin_utd · 06-03-2018 5:10pm

L1011 wrote: »

Extended to IT Blanch from the original proposal - extremely odd exclusion to begin with. Will likely take a lot of students from Maynooth/Leixlip off the train at least in bad weather as the walk is not fun.

when do lectures start in the morning ? If its 9 then a planned arrival at 8.55 is a little tight !

thomasj · 06-03-2018 6:25pm

L1011 wrote:

Extended to IT Blanch from the original proposal - extremely odd exclusion to begin with. Will likely take a lot of students from Maynooth/Leixlip off the train at least in bad weather as the walk is not fun.

Finally a decent connection between the Maynooth and Kildare lines also. Upto now best way without going via the city would be walking up the hazelhatch road .

Lord Glentoran · 06-03-2018 7:58pm

thomasj wrote: »

Finally a decent connection between the Maynooth and Kildare lines also. Upto now best way without going via the city would be walking up the hazelhatch road .

There is a bus connection from the Hatch to Celbridge and back for several peak trains, but in fairness there is no publicity for it outside the Irish Rail timetable.

Any reason why the NTA doesn’t have it on its planner?

Harcourt Street · 06-03-2018 10:44pm

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

There is a bus connection from the Hatch to Celbridge and back for several peak trains, but in fairness there is no publicity for it outside the Irish Rail timetable.

Any reason why the NTA doesn’t have it on its planner?

Probably doesn’t fit with their agenda.

rebel456 · 06-03-2018 11:42pm

I was ready to sing the praises of this new service until I saw the timetable. 8.47am the earliest arrival into Blanchardstown Shopping Centre? That is cutting it mightly fine for those who work within walking distance and need to be in the job for 9.00am. The service could do with an arrival time into Blanchardstown for 8.20am to 8.30am, allowing for both walking time to jobs and inevitable morning rush hour delays.

The first service and an evening service could be extending to Ballycoolin, looping into the industrial estate, giving those who work there the ability to get to work without having to transfer at Blanchardstown Centre to the infrequent 220 or 17A.

devnull · 06-03-2018 11:47pm

Harcourt Street wrote: »

Probably doesn’t fit with their agenda.

Does the service show up here:
https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/190118CurrentLicences.pdf

If not it's probably a private hire rather than a licensed service.

L1011 · 07-03-2018 12:18am

It's an Irish Rail funded service and I suspect is considered private hire

Lord Glentoran · 07-03-2018 3:02am

devnull wrote: »

Does the service show up here:
https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/190118CurrentLicences.pdf

If not it's probably a private hire rather than a licensed service.

No, but services 951, 952 and 957 dont show up on the planner either.

Lord Glentoran · 07-03-2018 3:11am

L1011 wrote: »

It's an Irish Rail funded service and I suspect is considered private hire

Are the Hatch buses able to be taken off by the NTA the way the private hire 53B Dublin Buses from Busaras to Dublin Ferryport were done for as well?

n97 mini · 07-03-2018 1:53pm

What bus stops will this be using? I haven't noticed any new stops around the place.

devnull · 11-03-2018 10:56am

Expected to be using 3x brand new MCV eVoRa single decks like this:
https://cbwmagazine.com/mcv-launches-new-volvo-b8rle-single-decker/

tnegun · 11-03-2018 11:27am

Hard to tell from the map but it looks like it will be using Parson street through Maynooth. Is that right? That will add significant delays during the morning and evening peaks.

Stephen15 · 11-03-2018 11:38am

devnull wrote: »

Expected to be using 3x brand new MCV eVoRa single decks like this:
https://cbwmagazine.com/mcv-launches-new-volvo-b8rle-single-decker/

NTA owned or JJK owned I wonder?

Lord Glentoran · 11-03-2018 2:59pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

NTA owned or JJK owned I wonder?

So are Wrightbus off the pitch in the Republic these days?

thomasj · 11-03-2018 3:35pm

devnull wrote:

Expected to be using 3x brand new MCV eVoRa single decks like this:

Will they have the new tfi livery ?

AlekSmart · 11-03-2018 6:30pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

NTA owned or JJK owned I wonder?

Kavanagh owned vehicles,albeit an unusual choice of bodywork,perhaps influenced by the availability of the Volvo B8 underframe ?

There is little untoward about the vehicles being owned by the tender winner,as the process allows for this,Go-Ahead,for example could have submitted a tender based upon them supplying buses to the NTA spec,but instead chose to base their tender upon the vehicles being supplied by the tendering agency.

It is beneficial for a regulatory organization to have as broad a set of potential suppliers as possible,as it keeps the major supplier on their toes,and the new arrival in hungry mode for the future.

It does continue a trend which perhaps indicates that,Wrightbus has finally peaked,in it's dominance of Irish Public Transport Sector orders...which might not be a bad thing either ?

devnull · 12-03-2018 12:16pm

n97 mini · 12-03-2018 8:38pm

Has anyone seen these services in the RTPI today? I've looked a few times but haven't seen any showing.

AlekSmart · 12-03-2018 10:20pm

Devnull's photo is quite interesting.
At this stage,there is little excuse for a return to the Paper Slip In The Windscreen.
Given that correct and appropriate Destination Display is a major factor in NTA Bus Service Contracts,one must assume that some demerits will be applied to the JJK organization for the lack of them as shown here.

dashcamdanny · 13-03-2018 8:46pm

Just looking at the details of this. Looks like people from Clane to Naas cant use the service for short hops. Pick up and drop off only.

Bit odd ..

tnegun · 13-03-2018 9:58pm

Aren't they already served by an hourly service operated by Kavanaghs?

tnegun · 13-03-2018 10:00pm

AlekSmart wrote: »

Devnull's photo is quite interesting.
At this stage,there is little excuse for a return to the Paper Slip In The Windscreen.
Given that correct and appropriate Destination Display is a major factor in NTA Bus Service Contracts,one must assume that some demerits will be applied to the JJK organization for the lack of them as shown here.

Passed one today but it was almost gone before I copped what it was the front display had the route number and the Operator name JJ Kavanagh but that may have been scrolling to show the destination.

Polar101 · 14-03-2018 10:25am

I think this needs a bit more work.. did a short trip from Corduff to Ongar, but the fare was €6.50 (Leap) as the driver's ticket machine only had options for Sallins, Clane and Naas which were all €6.50. In the timetable PDF it's supposed to be €1.50.

Very nice brand new bus though, and was about an hour faster than Dublin bus..

dashcamdanny · 14-03-2018 11:23am

tnegun wrote: »

Aren't they already served by an hourly service operated by Kavanaghs?

I think the local service there is run by a the same company, unreliable and finishes at the evening. Also no service on weekends. According to disgruntled locals on Facebook.

Typical NTA TBH

devnull · 14-03-2018 11:45am

dashcamdanny wrote: »

I think the local service there is run by a the same company, unreliable and finishes at the evening.

Typical NTA TBH

Under European Union law the state is not allowed to publicly fund a service that is competing directly with a commercial service as this would be certainly considered as illegal state aid against the commercial service.

The tender was probably written taking this into consideration and therefore before any bids were received, the restrictions on some stops were already written in to the prospective contract to ensure that the NTA complies with EU state aid and competition laws.

If another operator won the tender for example they'd also have to have the same restrictions since if they were able to operate all of the stops, JJ Kavanagh could easily take the NTA to the EU court saying that there is illegal state aid being supplied to a taxpayer funded operator who they are competing with on an established service.

n97 mini · 14-03-2018 12:15pm

The buses serving this route are not equipped for RTPI, according to TFI. Greatly reduces the usability if you're not boarding near a terminus imho.

devnull · 14-03-2018 12:53pm

n97 mini wrote: »

The buses serving this route are not equipped for RTPI, according to TFI. Greatly reduces the usability if you're not boarding near a terminus imho.

Really the NTA should have required it as part of the contract.

The biggest disappointment with this service is that it does not appear that well integrated into the transport network. It's not even listed on the JJK site and from what I have seen it just has a regular JJ Kavanagh livery on it.

With Go-Ahead getting vehicles in one livery and Dublin Bus staying with their existing livery as well, there are signs that all may not be well with the NTA's plans to integrate services together since everything still feels fragmented.

I really expected to see some better integration or signs of it by now.

Stephen15 · 14-03-2018 3:25pm

devnull wrote: »

With Go-Ahead getting vehicles in one livery and Dublin Bus staying with their existing livery as well, there are signs that all may not be well with the NTA's plans to integrate services together since everything still feels fragmented.

I really expected to see some better integration or signs of it by now.

When was that confirmed, hopefully it's not the case. I thought the NTA were working on prototype liveries with some buses in a new livery up in Wright's in Ballymena.

devnull · 14-03-2018 3:31pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

When was that confirmed, hopefully it's not the case. I thought the NTA were working on prototype liveries with some buses in a new livery up in Wright's in Ballymena.

All deliveries for Dublin Bus this year are to be in Dublin Bus livery. They've already started rolling off the production line in Ballymena and more are currently in build. The ones in a different livery are for Go-Ahead from what I've been told but even that livery isn't signed off yet fully.

Believe there is no agreement between DB and NTA about any livery change going forward, so I can't see DB adopting any new livery until 2019 deliveries at the earliest.

n97 mini · 14-03-2018 5:27pm

devnull wrote: »

Really the NTA should have required it as part of the contract.

The biggest disappointment with this service is that it does not appear that well integrated into the transport network. It's not even listed on the JJK site and from what I have seen it just has a regular JJ Kavanagh livery on it.

With Go-Ahead getting vehicles in one livery and Dublin Bus staying with their existing livery as well, there are signs that all may not be well with the NTA's plans to integrate services together since everything still feels fragmented.

I really expected to see some better integration or signs of it by now.

I drove a lot of the route today. There are no new bus stops or signage at existing bus stops.

I really think they don't want this route to be a success.

devnull · 14-03-2018 5:32pm

It is pretty poor - JJ Kavanagh themselves have not really mentioned it either.

This is relatively simple in relation to what the NTA will need to deal with later in the year.

Stephen15 · 14-03-2018 7:13pm

I don't see why this route wasn't put as part of the GA tender. I don't mind operators owning their own buses but they should have to meet standards set by the NTA similar to the standards that TFL BOCS have to meet when buying new buses regarding displays, middle doors and maintence etc.

thomasj · 14-03-2018 7:16pm

Stephen15 wrote:

I don't see why this route wasn't put as part of the GA tender. I don't mind operators owning their own buses but they should have to meet standards set by the NTA similar to the standards that TFL BOCS have to meet when buying new buses regarding displays, middle doors and maintence etc.

It's not a Dublin area service as such.

brokenarms · 15-03-2018 2:11pm

Seems a lot of their buses are not even left back to a garage when finished. You often see them parked in residential housing estates at night. Commercial vehicles like that should not be parked outside drivers houses. Not sure how they can maintain a fleet like that.

AlekSmart · 15-03-2018 3:18pm

devnull wrote: »

All deliveries for Dublin Bus this year are to be in Dublin Bus livery. They've already started rolling off the production line in Ballymena and more are currently in build. The ones in a different livery are for Go-Ahead from what I've been told but even that livery isn't signed off yet fully.

Believe there is no agreement between DB and NTA about any livery change going forward, so I can't see DB adopting any new livery until 2019 deliveries at the earliest.

The issue of the NTA introducing a new livery (or branding) is of course one for it alone.

However,as an authority which espouses a new commercially focused and customer centric method of operation,it must also be aware that Commercial Considerations can also be applied to the value of the Current Dominant Operator's branding.

The Bus Atha Cliath chairman has already given clear indication to the Oireachtas of his companys intention to protect these assets.

https://www.kildarestreet.com/committees/?id=2017-10-25a.1210&s=Ultan+Courtney#g1214

Mr. Ultan Courtney:

As with Mr. Murphy, I do not think there is any issue in Dublin Bus with regard to gender and pay. Pay is based on grade. The last senior appointment we had was a lady to the chief financial officer's position. Unfortunately, we took it from Mr. Murphy's organisation. We take the best people wherever we can find them.

The situation with property is quite similar. We have the garages and so on but we have absolutely no plans to divest ourselves of them because they are part of our strategic investment in the Dublin area. They are very important to how we provide services across the city. Outside of that, I am not aware of any other property we will be disposing of. It is under the control of CIE group property division.

The Senator asked a very interesting question about the NTA, buses and branding and so on. It is a very important question because it comes down to the whole idea of what kind of bus company we want in Dublin. Dublin Bus will be there for some considerable time regardless of what policy changes are made. The question always arises about the nature of it. The Dublin Bus brand is very important to us and we use it in all our marketing. People talk about livery but we never do. Instead we talk about branding, marketing and positioning. It is very important to us to protect that brand and it is very important it is there into the future. What happened in London is often cited.

They had different operators but kept the red buses. My humble submission is that whatever changes happen, please keep the Dublin Bus colours. They are very important to the company, and are also a very valuable asset to the State. It is valued at €28 million and could go up over the next few years, depending on expansion, to €33 million.

We are talking about the efficient use of assets. An asset of the State cannot just be given away. It is important to protect the brand, and one of the principal duties of the board is to protect the assets of the State and get the maximum value for them. Notwithstanding that, we have been engaged with the NTA. Dublin Bus has been driving this, because it has the expertise in branding. It set up a brand room, which everyone, including Ministers and officials from the Department, wanted to see, showing what a new branding concept for Dublin Bus, which would protect the brand and the value that it has, would look like, and presented the idea of a new, innovative and modern service. Dublin Bus is not afraid of change or of looking at branding, but it is going to protect its assets.

As is now evident from the route 139 Introduction,the NTA appears to have a bit more research & development to do in this area before embarking on any further large-scale changes.

The current College Green debacle serves to remind us of just how easy it is to totally destroy systems and services by the sole expedient of Failing to Prepare.

I am quite surprised,and somewhat sad,to see the 139 being given such a flaky start,as both the service AND it's intended customers surely deserve better ?

Thrashssacre · 15-03-2018 6:14pm

With the lack of advertising, signage and rtpi has anyone even been using the service?

L1011 · 15-03-2018 6:17pm

Local media coverage, ITB social media coverage, Facebook geofenced ads (so non locals won't see them) - it hasn't been snuck in unannounced

n97 mini · 15-03-2018 10:10pm

L1011 wrote: »

Local media coverage, ITB social media coverage, Facebook geofenced ads (so non locals won't see them) - it hasn't been snuck in unannounced

And various local politicians are claiming credit. Though I think the only people actually using it are students in Naas attending ITB. I'll give it a try in Leixlip this weekend, but the maximum I'm prepared to wait is 15 minutes from the scheduled time.

tnegun · 15-03-2018 10:17pm

Thrashssacre wrote: »

With the lack of advertising, signage and rtpi has anyone even been using the service?

Passed one about 6 this evening in Leixlip it was Blanchardstown bound with 2 passangers.

devnull · 15-03-2018 10:19pm

The worst thing is that even if someone sees the bus and thinks, hey, maybe I should look up the operator website and find info on that service, it's no use because JJ Kavanagh haven't even mentioned it.

Really the lack of information in obvious places is unforgivable.

tnegun · 15-03-2018 10:29pm

Even the destination board spends 50% of the time dispaying JJ Kavanagh as if having ot plastered all over the bus wasn't enough. Can it stop anywhere of does it have to use regular bus stops?

Stephen15 · 15-03-2018 11:17pm

Everything about this seems rather bizarre. Why was a new route only announced a week before it started usually 3 weeks to a months notice would be given before a new route begins operating after the initial annoucement was made public and also why weren't stops put in place before it began operating.

AlekSmart · 16-03-2018 3:36pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

Everything about this seems rather bizarre. Why was a new route only announced a week before it started usually 3 weeks to a months notice would be given before a new route begins operating after the initial annoucement was made public and also why weren't stops put in place before it began operating.

The norm on contracts such as this,is that a date is specified for the commencement of service,with penalties should that date be missed.

However,as the actual contract remains unavailable,anything posted here is pure conjecture.

It would appear that the NTA is going down the FoI road on documentation availability,which is a hugely retrograde step for a new Regulator to take ?

n97 mini · 16-03-2018 4:13pm

tnegun wrote: »

Even the destination board spends 50% of the time dispaying JJ Kavanagh as if having ot plastered all over the bus wasn't enough. Can it stop anywhere of does it have to use regular bus stops?

No-one really seems to know. I asked the NTA what stops is it using (i.e. DB where available? And what if not?) and the question was ignored.

n97 mini · 16-03-2018 4:18pm

I saw my first one of these buses this morning. At 9:32 the bus scheduled for 9:38 passed the Leixlip Captain's Hill stop :eek::eek:

thomasj · 16-03-2018 4:49pm

n97 mini wrote:

I saw my first one of these buses this morning. At 9:32 the bus scheduled for 9:38 passed the Leixlip Captain's Hill stop

Hence the need for rtpi

Stephen15 · 16-03-2018 5:03pm

After seeing now that Go-Ahead got the contract for 6 BE routes in the Eastern Region it seems bizarre that the NTA would give this contract to JJK and not GA as part of the contract. GA will probably be a far better than JJK and they will be more accountable to the NTA than JJK as the NTA will own their buses and they will have RTPI.

devnull · 20-03-2018 12:12pm

Has anything improved regarding this route?

JJ Kavanagh are still not mentioning it on their website and I can only conclude they are not bothered about advertising it, probably because they get paid the same amount of money regardless of how many passengers use it.

Do the NTA not have some contractual rights to enforce proper service information provision on their contractor? If not, why not?

Route 139 Naas to Blanchardstown Launches 12th Mar

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