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The Dublin Coach Experience

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    #1352
    thenightman
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭thenightman


    Was a very stressed out looking DC mechanic trying to get one of the Setras going at the Red Cow Luas at 8am the other morning. He managed it after about 5 mins prodding and searching around the engine bay with his spotlamp. Doesn't exactly fill the customers queuing up for said bus with confidence though!


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    #1353
    john boye
    Registered Users Posts: 1,495 ✭✭✭john boye


    devnull wrote: »
    It's no longer licensed for service and hasn't been for a while.

    But somehow the setras still are?


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    #1354
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Got it from Dublin to Kilkenny this eve. They put on a separate bus to Kilkenny only- Waterford bus was the first one- only 45 mins later than the scheduled time! But was one of the very comfortable lovely Merc buses.
    Be great if they would just scrap the old Setras and have all these ones. Personal lights, vents that work. Also USB charging points which is very handy.
    Route has really taken off. People love the direct route via the motorway I guess


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    #1355
    Vic_08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    embraer170 wrote: »
    When are the new coaches arriving?

    Some of you post this sort of question assuming that it will sort their problems out, it won't. A partial fleet replacement with new coaches will not solve the underlying issues with DC that have plagued this operator for years.

    Their maintenance standards are appalling, coaches do astronomical mileage and unless the inspection and servicing regime is pre-empting failures they will have a high fault rate. This is true of newer vehicles as well as old ones and the fact that newer DC coaches are also to be seen sitting by the roadside bears this out.

    Other operators use vehicles as old or older than the DC Setras and do not litter our main roads with defective coaches in the way this crowd do. Aircoach never had the same level of incidents with the very same vehicles which they ran intensively up to their sale.


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    #1356
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Vic_08 wrote: »
    Some of you post this sort of question assuming that it will sort their problems out, it won't. A partial fleet replacement with new coaches will not solve the underlying issues with DC that have plagued this operator for years.

    Their maintenance standards are appalling, coaches do astronomical mileage and unless the inspection and servicing regime is pre-empting failures they will have a high fault rate. This is true of newer vehicles as well as old ones and the fact that newer DC coaches are also to be seen sitting by the roadside bears this out.

    Other operators use vehicles as old or older than the DC Setras and do not litter our main roads with defective coaches in the way this crowd do. Aircoach never had the same level of incidents with the very same vehicles which they ran intensively up to their sale.

    It was the same man running it, they were leased, he sold out, ends up buying the clapped out dung, runs till they crash or burn... Literally.

    He must be making money on this venture as with aircoach it was loss making but made a killing selling it off/licence to first group.

    First kept this sermcret for a long time and eventually they put their brand name on their fleet.

    Aircoach Tri axle fleet are getting near their end too..


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    #1357
    91wx763
    Registered Users Posts: 523 ✭✭✭91wx763


    Seeing as this thread has woken up.....

    Brake light, nah. Wonder when it got dinged and into what ? Looks very Aircoach blue if you ask me !!!


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    #1358
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    91wx763 wrote: »
    Seeing as this thread has woken up.....

    Brake light, nah. Wonder when it got dinged and into what ? Looks very Aircoach blue if you ask me !!!

    Looks like a ComfortClass Setra rather than TopClass Setra and also seems to have a KE registration so it was one that Dublin Coach had from new or bought second hand, but certainly not Aircoach as all theirs were TopClass on 03/04 plates with Dublin registrations.


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    #1359
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    devnull wrote: »
    Looks like a ComfortClass Setra rather than TopClass Setra and also seems to have a KE registration so it was one that Dublin Coach had from new or bought second hand, but certainly not Aircoach as all theirs were TopClass on 03/04 plates with Dublin registrations.

    Wasn't an aircoach it's an import most likely and wasn't bought new be dc. That ain't aircoach blue, it would be a better match to db darker blue.

    Only new coach they bought are from 2014 onwards.

    The 2014 Tri axle single decks were used on the Dublin tours for a year for tax purposes.

    Saved him a fortune.


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    #1360
    dzilla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,767 ✭✭✭dzilla


    91wx763 wrote: »
    Seeing as this thread has woken up.....

    Brake light, nah. Wonder when it got dinged and into what ? Looks very Aircoach blue if you ask me !!!

    Ballybeg looking good :cool:


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    #1361
    Odyssey 2005
    Registered Users Posts: 21,065 ✭✭✭✭Odyssey 2005


    91wx763 wrote: »
    Seeing as this thread has woken up.....

    Brake light, nah. Wonder when it got dinged and into what ? Looks very Aircoach blue if you ask me !!!

    That seems like a very dangerous place to place a disabled parking space.


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    #1362
    lil5
    Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭lil5


    Odyssey 2005 wrote: »
    That seems like a very dangerous place to place a disabled parking space.

    Looks more like the spot for the wheelchair users to board the bus, or where the wheelchair ramp will be lowered?


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    #1363
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    Odyssey 2005 wrote:
    That seems like a very dangerous place to place a disabled parking space.


    It isn't, it is the waiting area for disabled passengers.


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    #1364
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    ExoPolitic wrote: »
    It isn't, it is the waiting area for disabled passengers.

    Out in the rain and not under the shelter.... Seems an absolute waste of paint to be honest...


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    #1365
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Out in the rain and not under the shelter.... Seems an absolute waste of paint to be honest...

    Welcome to the joined up thinking of Waterford city and county council...


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    #1366
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    So busy they've had to lay on two coaches for the 1500 Waterford to Dublin, time for hourly on the m9 service?


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    #1367
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    ExoPolitic wrote: »
    So busy they've had to lay on two coaches for the 1500 Waterford to Dublin, time for hourly on the m9 service?

    Was same one Friday evening lately. One just served Kilkenny so they just separated the passengers out.


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    #1368
    Nigel Fairservice
    Registered Users, Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,179 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nigel Fairservice


    The bus to Cork from MacDonagh Junction at 5 40 pm was actually on time. The coach that turned up to the stop was empty. I wonder did the run a separate bus from Dublin to Kilkenny for the first leg of the trip.

    Only 3 people got on at Ormonde Road, I don't think I've ever seen so few get on the bus at this time on a Friday.


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    #1369
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Nigel Fairservice wrote: »
    The bus to Cork from MacDonagh Junction at 5 40 pm was actually on time. The coach that turned up to the stop was empty. I wonder did the run a separate bus from Dublin to Kilkenny for the first leg of the trip.

    Only 3 people got on at Ormonde Road, I don't think I've ever seen so few get on the bus at this time on a Friday.

    Since the Naas M7 works finished bus times out of Dublin seem to be a bit more reliable. One I was on last week did Dublin city centre to Kilkenny in 1 hr 35 mins including stop at Red Cow which is pretty damn good to be fair and bus was pretty much full too- some of the very long Dublin Bus journeys within/around Dublin can take longer! That's beating the train taking in travel to Heuston and only €10 also.
    Would love to see the service go hourly now.


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    #1370
    JeffK88
    Registered Users Posts: 627 ✭✭✭JeffK88


    Has anybody any clue if this company exists anymore or has any intention of restarting?


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    #1371
    p_haugh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,122 ✭✭✭p_haugh


    JeffK88 wrote: »
    Has anybody any clue if this company exists anymore or has any intention of restarting?

    I've seen on another thread that they have put out ads on indeed for bus drivers


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    #1372
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    JeffK88 wrote: »
    Has anybody any clue if this company exists anymore or has any intention of restarting?

    There's been nothing to suggest that they won't, apart from people creating speculation based on the fact they are not operating and not a thing more.


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    #1373
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    devnull wrote: »
    There's been nothing to suggest that they won't, apart from people creating speculation based on the fact they are not operating and not a thing more.
    They have not brought out the coaches to any of the outstations yet, but JJ Kavanagh have resumed services in their entirety. Does make you wonder.


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    #1374
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    devnull wrote: »
    There's been nothing to suggest that they won't, apart from people creating speculation based on the fact they are not operating and not a thing more.

    I’ve seen they’re looking for drivers so they are coming back. Being so crap to work for probably has been very hard for them to retain staff through the lockdown


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    #1375
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    ExoPolitic wrote: »
    They have not brought out the coaches to any of the outstations yet, but JJ Kavanagh have resumed services in their entirety. Does make you wonder.

    There's far more companies than Dublin Coach who operate similar kind of services to Dublin Coach who are also not operating, I see no speculation about them and unlike Dublin Coach, those companies are not recruiting.


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    #1376
    Odyssey 2005
    Registered Users Posts: 21,065 ✭✭✭✭Odyssey 2005


    devnull wrote: »
    There's far more companies than Dublin Coach who operate similar kind of services to Dublin Coach who are also not operating, I see no speculation about them and unlike Dublin Coach, those companies are not recruiting.

    I'm afraid that nobody operates the kind of service that DC operates.


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    #1377
    JeffK88
    Registered Users Posts: 627 ✭✭✭JeffK88


    Unfortunately when no news comes out all sorts of rumours float about. The mere fact they are hiring staff shows there is some movement behind the scenes. I've heard from drivers in the pre-covid that the company was for sale. But this is all speculation of course


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    #1378
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Wonder will the setras make a return?

    Absolutely disgraceful they're still in the road if they do.


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    #1379
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    DC creates this kind of situations by not communicating. In the public domain and providing a public service that people do depend on is good manners. Even if it’s not good news or a major delay.
    I frequently use the M9 service as it’s very quick and cheap, frequent but wouldn’t be under any illusions about the company itself. It is what it is and definitely a step down from competition


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    #1380
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Wonder will the setras make a return?

    Absolutely disgraceful they're still in the road if they do.

    Sure what else will they do? If anything with the social distancing you’d imagine they’d need more buses not less


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    #1381
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    road_high wrote: »
    Sure what else will they do? If anything with the social distancing you’d imagine they’d need more buses not less

    Did you see them?

    Duct tape, plastic bags or straps holding panels together and smoke etc, interior in shambles.


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