Dublin Coach Experience Discussion Thread

Dravokivich · 02-01-2020 12:20PM

The key to delivering a service is consistency!

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 11:21AM

I am currently on a DC from Waterford to KK. To say it is the greatest ball of shyte would be an understatement. You would need earphones with the constant very loud droning noise. There is a drummer in the luggage hold. Thump..thump thump just like a bass drummer keeping beat. You can feel the thump through the floor up into the seat.
The driver is on the phone since we left Waterford 15 mins ago,.

WishUWereHere · 11-01-2020 12:40PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

snip

The driver is on the phone since we left Waterford 15 mins ago,.

Hands free? Bluetooth, which if is so, would mean everyone on the bus can hear the conversation?

punisher5112 · 11-01-2020 12:50PM

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Hands free? Bluetooth, which if is so, would mean everyone on the bus can hear the conversation?

Not with an ear piece which would be fully legal.

punisher5112 · 11-01-2020 12:51PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I am currently on a DC from Waterford to KK. To say it is the greatest ball of shyte would be an understatement. You would need earphones with the constant very loud droning noise. There is a drummer in the luggage hold. Thump..thump thump just like a bass drummer keeping beat. You can feel the thump through the floor up into the seat.
The driver is on the phone since we left Waterford 15 mins ago,.

I'd be putting in a very strong complaint and I'd also be contacting the carriage office about the safety non standards of the vehicle.

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 12:56PM

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Hands free? Bluetooth, which if is so, would mean everyone on the bus can hear the conversation?

Hows your Polosh /Lithuanian?

He was on a wired earpiece, which is also illegal

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 12:59PM

punisher5112 wrote: »

I'd be putting in a very strong complaint and I'd also be contacting the carriage office about the safety non standards of the vehicle.

Are you new here ?

Do you seriously think that DC give a twopenny fuk about safety standards ?

punisher5112 · 11-01-2020 01:13PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Are you new here ?

Do you seriously think that DC give a twopenny fuk about safety standards ?

Not new but if it's like that it could be a serious safety issue.

I wouldn't drive it and others shouldn't either.

Caquas · 11-01-2020 01:14PM

I was left stranded in the lashing rain at the Red Cow Roundabout at midnight just before Christmas. Luckily there was a taxi so I got out in one piece, but at a price.

When I complained, I got a total runaround. Now let’s see if the regulator has any teeth.

thelad95 · 11-01-2020 01:15PM

Anyone familiar with the Kilkenny service would have seen an 04 setra broken down in the middle of the junction after the ormonde road stop. Not a single driver or mechanic to be seen anywhere.

What was beautifully ironic was that the driver obviously tried to put the hazards on but only the right tail light indicator was working so in theory it looked like the bus was indicating to pull back out which is all the more confusing.

Had to drive back into town later (around four hours after) and the bus was still there.

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 01:32PM

thelad95 wrote: »

Anyone familiar with the Kilkenny service would have seen an 04 setra broken down in the middle of the junction after the ormonde road stop. Not a single driver or mechanic to be seen anywhere.

What was beautifully ironic was that the driver obviously tried to put the hazards on but only the right tail light indicator was working so in theory it looked like the bus was indicating to pull back out which is all the more confusing.

Had to drive back into town later (around four hours after) and the bus was still there.

I also notice that they have changed their route into the city. They come down the Waterford rd,through the lidl roundabout, left onto upper new street and turn right onto ormond rd. Upper New St is totally unsuitable for large vehicles. There is also a primary school there. Bonkers.

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 01:35PM

punisher5112 wrote: »

Not new but if it's like that it could be a serious safety issue.

I wouldn't drive it and others shouldn't either.

I most certainly wouldn't drive it. There is a safety issue,the thump could be both heard and felt by everyone on the bus(not fit to be called a coach).

Vic_08 · 11-01-2020 01:42PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I most certainly wouldn't drive it. There is a safety issue,the thump could be both heard and felt by everyone on the bus(not fit to be called a coach).

You are obviously aware of the issues with this company and still use them though.

WishUWereHere · 11-01-2020 01:57PM

Vic_08 wrote: »

You are obviously aware of the issues with this company and still use them though.

In defense of the OP, not sure how he/she was to know a ‘driver’ was going to spend 15 minutes on his/her cellphone prior to leaving Waterford? Or to be aware of the noise issues?

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 02:57PM

Vic_08 wrote: »

You are obviously aware of the issues with this company and still use them though.

I was stuck for an unexpected trip from WD to KK. If I travel I almost always drive or if not its JJ Kavanagh

WishUWereHere · 11-01-2020 03:09PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I was stuck for an unexpected trip from WD to KK. If I travel I almost always drive or if not its JJ Kavanagh

Just hope You get to Your destination safely Od! BTW, how long before the 'driver/receptionist' finished their phone chat?

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 03:11PM

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Just hope You get to Your destination safely Od! BTW, how long before the 'driver/receptionist' finished their phone chat?

The exit for Mullinavat

Home safely thanks. I dont usually have a problem with a driver taking a call,but this wasnt a work call or a family emergency (as far as I could tell), it sounded like a few mates having the craic.

Vic_08 · 11-01-2020 10:14PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I was stuck for an unexpected trip from WD to KK. If I travel I almost always drive or if not its JJ Kavanagh

It is disgraceful that this standard is allowed to pass for public transport but as long as people keep using it there is no incentive for them to change and worse still there is pressure on other operators to cut corners to compete. BE withdrew from Dublin-Kilkenny if they squeeze JJK out you will be left with even less options.

Sadly there is no oversight of commercial services in Ireland. Once an operator has got their foot in the door the NTA just rubber stamp the licences renewals and allow the companies to operate however they please, no maintenance standards, no accessibility requirements, no bus stop marking, timetable or fare publishing requirements, no complaints procedure or independent regulator to ensure they are acting correctly. FFS they won't even tell the public the details or terms of the licences they grant so you can't even tell if the operators are even working within their licences properly. Meanwhile the NTA fret over minutiae such as how much yellow paint is on the front of PSO route buses and changing bus stop heads so GAI run services do not have to use DB branded bus stops.

AndrewJRenko · 11-01-2020 10:29PM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Hows your Polosh /Lithuanian?
He was on a wired earpiece, which is also illegal

The earpiece is legal. If he touches or holds the phone while driving, that is illegal. Report him to the Garda TrafficWatch phone line.

One of the coaches blocked up the Gort Mhuire roundabout in Ballinteer nicely this evening, pushing into the yellow box and blocking all traffic from moving on the roundabout.

Odyssey 2005 · 11-01-2020 11:34PM

Vic_08 wrote: »

It is disgraceful that this standard is allowed to pass for public transport but as long as people keep using it there is no incentive for them to change and worse still there is pressure on other operators to cut corners to compete. BE withdrew from Dublin-Kilkenny if they squeeze JJK out you will be left with even less options.

Sadly there is no oversight of commercial services in Ireland. Once an operator has got their foot in the door the NTA just rubber stamp the licences renewals and allow the companies to operate however they please, no maintenance standards, no accessibility requirements, no bus stop marking, timetable or fare publishing requirements, no complaints procedure or independent regulator to ensure they are acting correctly. FFS they won't even tell the public the details or terms of the licences they grant so you can't even tell if the operators are even working within their licences properly. Meanwhile the NTA fret over minutiae such as how much yellow paint is on the front of PSO route buses and changing bus stop heads so GAI run services do not have to use DB branded bus stops.

You should go down to Kilkenny and have a look at the clusterfuk of a city service that the NTA signed off on. Bus stops painted on some of the narrowest city streets in the country. They just stop in the middle of the road and motorists behind them and in some cases meeting them must wait for passengers to board and alight. I know where I'd like to stick the NTA's man rubber stamp :eek:

Quackster · 12-01-2020 01:51AM

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

You should go down to Kilkenny and have a look at the clusterfuk of a city service that the NTA signed off on. Bus stops painted on some of the narrowest city streets in the country. They just stop in the middle of the road and motorists behind them and in some cases meeting them must wait for passengers to board and alight. I know where I'd like to stick the NTA's man rubber stamp :eek:

At least they're running decent busses. If you're looking for a clusterfuçk of horse manure, check out the 'Tralee People's Bus Service'! :eek:

belfast stephen · 12-01-2020 11:41PM

New Double decker coaches should start to arrive with the first 4 at the end of February

Odyssey 2005 · 13-01-2020 01:17AM

belfast stephen wrote: »

New Double decker coaches should start to arrive with the first 4 at the end of February

Cant wait

WishUWereHere · 13-01-2020 04:35AM

belfast stephen wrote: »

New Double decker coaches should start to arrive with the first 4 at the end of February

All well and good getting new buses, but there’s still the issue of drivers spending 15 minutes on their phones - wonder will anything be done on this issue?

punisher5112 · 13-01-2020 06:54AM

WishUWereHere wrote: »

All well and good getting new buses, but there’s still the issue of drivers spending 15 minutes on their phones - wonder will anything be done on this issue?

Nothing illegal about it if hands free....

Bus eireann for example need phones as they have no other way of contacting control or to get them ...

embraer170 · 13-01-2020 07:05AM

belfast stephen wrote: »

New Double decker coaches should start to arrive with the first 4 at the end of February

How many are they expecting in total?

Old diesel · 13-01-2020 08:57AM

Quackster wrote: »

At least they're running decent busses. If you're looking for a clusterfuçk of horse manure, check out the 'Tralee People's Bus Service'! :eek:

Please tell me they aren't still running the old boneshaker Mercs 😯🧐🧐🧐

Muller1991 · 13-01-2020 10:41AM

I collected my brother from Dublin airport on Saturday afternoon around 5pm. As i was coming onto the M50 heading southbound , I noticed a black Mercedes Sprinter with a route number on the LED Screenit said Dundrum on it too.

The speed at which it was going was laughable I was doing 90-100 kmph I'd say the bus was at leats doing 120-140kmph at times and then breaking sharply enough in the outer lane all the way to the Red Cow. He over took myself at least 4 times must have changed lanes at least 8 times from the airport as far as the Red Cow.

When the bus was exiting at the Red Cow he jumped from the outer lane and moved across three lanes to get into the slip road for the Red Cow.

Not the first time I've come across DC's Erratic driving.

road_high · 13-01-2020 11:43AM

Muller1991 wrote: »

I collected my brother from Dublin airport on Saturday afternoon around 5pm. As i was coming onto the M50 heading southbound , I noticed a black Mercedes Sprinter with a route number on the LED Screenit said Dundrum on it too.

The speed at which it was going was laughable I was doing 90-100 kmph I'd say the bus was at leats doing 120-140kmph at times and then breaking sharply enough in the outer lane all the way to the Red Cow. He over took myself at least 4 times must have changed lanes at least 8 times from the airport as far as the Red Cow.

When the bus was exiting at the Red Cow he jumped from the outer lane and moved across three lanes to get into the slip road for the Red Cow.

Not the first time I've come across DC's Erratic driving.

I was on one last year (double decker 6 wheeler) that the driver missed the N7 exit off the M50, tore on southbound and then suddenly realised at the Ballymount exit he'd made a mistake and jumped across to the exit lanes narrowly missing cars behind that he pulled out in front of (horns blaring and lights flashing!) ended up skidding onto the loose stones and stopping the bus. Heart in the mouth experience, I was certain someone would collide with us. Apologised to the passengers ann back onto the road over the flyover and back up to the N7/Red Cow. We all make mistakes but jesus christ on a busy motorway- keep going and come off at the next junction safely (Tallaght/Firhouse I guess)- I'd rather be late a few minutes than be dead or injured! The training their staff get must be very questionable.

AndrewJRenko · 13-01-2020 11:58AM

road_high wrote: »

The training their staff get must be very questionable.

Is it a training issue, or is it down to incentives/punishments for drivers for not keeping to schedule?

Dublin Coach Experience Discussion Thread

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