Dublin Bus mobile app being retired

Citymapper currently only works for the Greater Dublin area mainly, with some longer distance routes also shown (I.e. Irish rail to cork).

Also, it used to show realtime data but currently only shows scheduled time, perhaps it hasnt updated to the new API version just yet.

It supports bus, rail, Luas, Dublin bikes and taxis. There's a bleeper option too but it hasn't worked for a good while

I have just checked it and I would only pay if the design would be better. Also, the app icon is off the old DB livery.

Looks like this app was using the same API that was supplying the Dublin Bus app, which I assume has also been turned off now.

I say this as a fellow Next Bus Dublin app that has been unable to get it to load any timetable info since the main Dublin Bus app switch off date.

The Next Bus Dublin app has been worth every cent over the years, especially the bus tracking. Haven't been using it much lately, but it does seem to be the case, that the real-time feed needs updating, which Stephen will hopefully get around to soon.

I only had the occasional peek on the Dublin Bus app over the years for the fares (when it was still working).

The Next Train App (which I've only been using for the Dart) does exactly what I need it to do and it does it very well.

The TFI offering is woeful and overcomplicated, not just for occasional use. It's something I'd expect to be produced from a government-linked source, after a huge amount of project managers, analysts, developers and plenty of decision makers, have gathered for 1001 meetings, working groups and releases.

But any apps usefulness is only as good as the data it's going to display and unfortunately the bus travel data in Dublin hasn't really all that much improved over the years. It still suffers from operational issues, be that cancellations (that may or may not be updated in the system), shortened services, driver changes along the route and technical issues. Manual system updates keep falling by the wayside and ghost buses are still daily occurrences.

Another app called Moovit, reasonably good

I like a new DB website. Funny how colour scheme can make such a huge difference. In comparison, TFI website already looks outdated and dead, but that's just because of a boring colour scheme and some not very clear menu options.

I admit, job ads on the DB website gives and odd impression that it's a new company looking to open and so looking for a startup staff. I think it's because of how static the first page look, even though they do have some dynamic info (news/announcements). However, I like it much more than the TFI. I also like that DB will continue have timetables, even though it's in a pdf format. That's a bit lazy decision.

Looks like they simply shut off the Dublin Bus API. Shame, as the Vehicle ref data from it was quite handy.

Hey folks, Next Bus Dublin developer here. Had some downtime today due to issues with my server and the TFI real-time feed going down too. Not ideal, I’m looking at solutions for making my server more robust in future. There will also be enhancements to the client apps over the coming months.

Thanks for the support of the app, it’s going over ten years now with over 100k downloads which is a success I had never expected when I posted a very rough first build on these forums all those years ago. Here’s hoping it survives for another decade!

Cheers, Stephen

I agree with with everything what you have just said, except the need of pdf timetables? I preferred the timetables within the website interface as it was in the previous DB website. I don't mind them to be also available in pdf if anyone wants to download them, but not having within the website, simply on screen doesn't seem good to me. It was so much easier to look up the timetable, especially for those who lives close to the end of the route or are served by only one route. Pdfs are clunky. They may open within the browser as a plugin, but they get downloaded to the phone which is annoying because I then need to go to me downloads folder and if I ever download any other files in future, these timetable pdfs get lost in the list of my downloaded files. I go to check if I can get pdfs opened in Edge on my phone.

Just wanted to add that I wasn’t annoyed at you just be clear, but rather the NTA.

As you can tell this lack of attention to detail is really beginning to annoy me, and my anger is firmly aimed at the incompetence that is being displayed, quite literally, by the NTA.

It is the small simple things that they keep getting wrong.

It tis.

I use them regularly to check the scheduled bus is actually running (remember that period in which buses regularly didn't turn up when DB initially claimed unforeseen circumstances before admitting it was illness) and that the Luas hasn't been delayed.

And because I know the timetable of the buses I connect to I regularly spot the app just not providing them as connections in my planned journey.

The older Journey Planner didn't have the same problem and during the period when both were active you could compare their results for the same journey and see the missed journeys the new app wouldn't suggest.

Yes, it can be argued that it's an issue with the API and the data it returns, but it shows how poor the testing it went through was and obviously didn't use the returned data from the previous iteration for regression purposes.

Re. the new Dublin Bus website, I don't want to be downloading and storing PDFs of timetables for routes, I much preferred the old timetable pages particularly if it's for a route you might only get once or twice plus it means you're always looking at the most up to date schedule.