Dublin Coach Experience Discussion Thread

devnull · 13-09-2018 08:42PM

Quackster wrote: »

Playing devil's advocate, they have been willing to open routes that nobody else had shown interest in as well. In Kerry, the BÉ Expressway monopoly was crucifying us with fares completely out of kilter with similar journeys elsewhere on the Expressway network where BÉ had competition.

Now BÉ charges reasonable fares on the Kerry-Limerick Expressway routes whereas fares on Kerry-Cork, on which BÉ still has a monopoly, are the guts of twice the price.

Oh for sure competition on the Intercity Network is a good thing.

The problem with Dublin Coach is that with the exception of the Belfast route, the whole thing feels like it's run as cheaply as possible on as little investment as possible, so not hard to have cheaper fares when you are spending the bare minimum on running the operation day to day.

Someone steps on the Belfast route and sees a brand new coach in good condition, timetables that are friendly and quick journey times and a decent fare and they have a good impression of the company. However the rest of passengers on the other routes have an altogether different experience and their custom almost feels taken for granted.

road_high · 13-09-2018 08:56PM

Have to say I wouldn't fancy heading all the way to Kerry on one of their filthy, smelly coaches. The ventilation system didn't appear to be working so I can only imagine what the hot weather was like on the one I was on today.

Yer Da sells Avon · 13-09-2018 09:01PM

I've never been on one of their buses, thankfully, but I was driving behind one recently on the N7 and had to overtake it (it was doing more than 100km/h, incidentally) because of the filthy black smoke it was producing.

road_high · 15-09-2018 12:39AM

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

I've never been on one of their buses, thankfully, but I was driving behind one recently on the N7 and had to overtake it (it was doing more than 100km/h, incidentally) because of the filthy black smoke it was producing.

I can tell you it’s not a whole lot better sitting inside!

sirmanga · 18-09-2018 04:57PM

Using Dublin Coach for the Waterford to Cork route to travel to UCC three days a week.
And the only bus that runs on time has been the first bus at 6.35am that gets to Cork at 8.15am.

The 8.35am service has been at least 40 minutes late every morning. Sometimes an hour. It's supposed to get in to Cork at 10.15am. My classes start at 11 and 12, so this bus would be perfect for me.
But now I'm having to get the 6.35 bus every morning just to make sure I'm there on time. Then hanging around Cork for hours every morning just because Dublin Coach are outrageously late, with no explanation or apology.

punisher5112 · 18-09-2018 05:12PM

Send a complaint to Anne Graham CEO NTA

dhaughton99 · 18-09-2018 05:12PM

I pass the ‘depot’ every other night and amount of buses they have outside that they seem to use for parts is stunning. They had a double decker parked outside, which was set up for doing eye tests on behalf of Pfizer last week.

Jamie2k9 · 24-09-2018 11:19PM

My recent experience a driver who couldn't understand any English, not even where the bus stops. Our coach was delayed waiting for a driver change over and the delay was the bus ran out of fuel and they had to stop en route.

road_high · 25-09-2018 05:27PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

My recent experience a driver who couldn't understand any English, not even where the bus stops. Our coach was delayed waiting for a driver change over and the delay was the bus ran out of fuel and they had to stop en route.

The fuel gauges probably don't work!

Odyssey 2005 · 25-09-2018 05:36PM

road_high wrote: »

The fuel gauges probably don't work!

You spelt card wrong.:)

Truckermal · 25-09-2018 05:45PM

One broken down at the Portlaoise Toll Plaza earlier!

patrickc · 25-09-2018 10:39PM

theres a 12 setra on the go with a missing tail light the last week that I've seen it, also one of those new double decker ones in the same condition.

Odyssey 2005 · 29-09-2018 05:50PM

Couldn't pick a better place to breakdown. Chaos in Doolin an lunchtime.still there now and it's 18.50. To make things worse the relief bus blocked the other side of the road to load the pax.

Odyssey 2005 · 29-09-2018 05:51PM

Couldn't pick a better place to breakdown. Chaos in Doolin an lunchtime.still there now and it's 18.50. To make things worse the relief bus blocked the other side of the road to load the pax.

Odyssey 2005 · 29-09-2018 05:54PM

..

WishUWereHere · 30-09-2018 01:17PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

..

Stupid question: From wheredid the spare bus depart to get there? Did it have to go down from Knockmitten? The breakdown must have blocked the street for hours.

Odyssey 2005 · 30-09-2018 06:49PM

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Stupid question: From wheredid the spare bus depart to get there? Did it have to go down from Knockmitten? The breakdown must have blocked the street for hours.

Yep came from Dublin. Broke down at lunchtime and wasn't moved until 20.10

.
Place was chaos until about 5.
Mechanics from Dublin also. Saw the same driver today in a Darby o gill coach. Hope they scrap the decker. POS.

dhaughton99 · 30-09-2018 07:03PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Yep came from Dublin. Broke down at lunchtime and wasn't moved until 20.10 .
Place was chaos until about 5.
Mechanics from Dublin also. Saw the same driver today in a Darby o gill coach. Hope they scrap the decker. POS.

Do they have any other depots apart from the one in Knockmitten?

punisher5112 · 30-09-2018 07:34PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Yep came from Dublin. Broke down at lunchtime and wasn't moved until 20.10 .
Place was chaos until about 5.
Mechanics from Dublin also. Saw the same driver today in a Darby o gill coach. Hope they scrap the decker. POS.

I thought those vanhools were a great coach??

I'm sure though they have had a hard life previous.

_Kaiser_ · 02-10-2018 10:33PM

Saw a double deck earlier with the front display apparently dead (sign in the window). More concerning though was the rear engine cover pretty much hanging off.

Are these vehicles not required to be CVRT'd annually? You'd have to wonder how any of them pass.

colm_mcm · 02-10-2018 10:52PM

Was behind a 2009 this morning in Limerick, not sure if it was tye Vanhool Astromega they got from Scotland, but it looked in amazing condition for the age.

ayux4rj6zql2ph · 02-10-2018 11:08PM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Saw a double deck earlier with the front display apparently dead (sign in the window). More concerning though was the rear engine cover pretty much hanging off.

Are these vehicles not required to be CVRT'd annually? You'd have to wonder how any of them pass.

I’m of the opinion that CVRT testing is either conducted in-house or via someone well associated

ayux4rj6zql2ph · 03-10-2018 08:07AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Was behind a 2009 this morning in Limerick, not sure if it was tye Vanhool Astromega they got from Scotland, but it looked in amazing condition for the age.

It looks like a 2009 now, after 6 months with them it will look like a 1989.

end of the road · 03-10-2018 12:51PM

Roberto Square Hangman wrote: »

It looks like a 2009 now, after 6 months with them it will look like a 1989.

that's an insult to a 1989 coach tbh.

ayux4rj6zql2ph · 03-10-2018 12:52PM

end of the road wrote: »

that's an insult to a 1989 coach tbh.

Not just a 1989 coach, any well maintained coach.

03-10-2018 03:03PM

Its a great company though if you have a D licence. If all else in your driving career fails you can always pick up a job with them.

road_high · 03-10-2018 04:28PM

Wondering was that Coach driver caught 9 tines over the limit on the M7 one of the Dublin coach ones? Looked a bit like one of their mini buses!

ayux4rj6zql2ph · 03-10-2018 04:33PM

road_high wrote: »

Wondering was that Coach driver caught 9 tines over the limit on the M7 one of the Dublin coach ones? Looked a bit like one of their mini buses!

It's a Mercedes Sprinter but I can't clearly make out the colour of it, either way it's a P45.

Odyssey 2005 · 03-10-2018 04:45PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Was behind a 2009 this morning in Limerick, not sure if it was tye Vanhool Astromega they got from Scotland, but it looked in amazing condition for the age.

This one ?. Broke down on Fisher st in Doolin last Sat. Was there for about 8 hrs. Some ball of shîťé

ayux4rj6zql2ph · 03-10-2018 04:51PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

This one ?. Broke down on Fisher st in Doolin last Sat. Was there for about 8 hrs. Some ball of shîťé

First one is a Setra, likely to be Ex Aircoach, the one behind is indeed a Vanhool Astromega.

Those 2004 Setra's are junk.

Dublin Coach Experience Discussion Thread

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