BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

Type of bus allocated still means absolutely nothing

That leaves Baldonnell unserved - I'm guessing there were limited or no users?

To be blunt, who cares?

It means absolutely nothing what bus runs a route on a particular day. It all just depends on operational circumstances

I sent an email to Dublin Bus on why there was no 17:28 44D service to Dundrum over this week. Response is as follows: (read bold text for key points)

I refer to your email regarding the reliability of Route 44D.

Every reasonable endeavour is made by Dublin Bus to ensure the operation of its buses according to schedule.

Unfortunately, from time to time the reliability of our services may be disrupted due to breakdowns, maintenance issues, traffic conditions or incidents.

Upon investigation into your complaint, after carefully analysing our tracking systems we were able to identify the services that were taken off.

On Monday 24/03/25, the 17:28PM service had operated as usual and departed on schedule. However due to heavy traffic congestion and passenger loading this service was delayed while on route to your stop. Our tracking systems confirm that this service had departed your stop (stop 2819) at approx. 18:18PM approx +11min behind schedule.

On Wednesday 26/03/25, the 17:28PM service was cancelled as there had been an operational failure with the air pressure of the bus just before the bus began its route. In the event that a bus is unable to operate as per schedule, the controller on duty will make every possible effort to operate the service as efficiently as possible.

This can include making curtailments, rescheduling services or operating additional trips if there is a driver available.
Unfortunately in this incident, there was no replacement bus that would arrive on time to the terminus in time so the route 44D was unable to begin its journey and the bus had to be returned back to the depot.

On Tuesday and Thursday 25/03/25 27/03/25, the 17:28PM did not operate on both days due to no driver being available for the journey and ultimately had to be taken off, Unfortunately at present due to limited resources, a staffing shortage exists that the company are attempting to alleviate. However, we are actively attempting to recruit more drivers to improve the issues you raise.

Until recently, we had been an experiencing a driver shortage which caused many of our services to be curtailed or unable to operate.

The controller on duty will make every effort possible to source a cover driver for a trip that is unable to operate. We are currently in the process of training new recruits and hope to have this resolved as soon as possible.

When this situation arises, the controller on duty will make every effort possible to source a cover driver. Unfortunately, there were none available in this case. We are actively recruiting and training new drivers and hope to see these issues subside over time.

On behalf of Dublin Bus I would like to thank you for taking the time in contacting us and I sincerely regret the inconvenience that you experienced.

No.

I have a friend who works for GAI and operates often on the S6 and S8, and he said that by the time BusConnects fully rolls out, every second bus will be cancelled.

Also just to point out that the PAs are fully capable of running the 44D, I don't know why putting SG's is a big deal of the 44 these days…

The 115's and the 116's and the overrated SGs really have their RPM's maxed out, before climbing the Dundrum Road hill, because I'm surprised a single B5TL engine bus with a ZF transmission can't even handle it..

The 44D was made to fill in for the loss of 2 major frequent routes, the 61 and the 17 on the Ranelagh/Dundrum corridor. Still hasn't improved much. Also, cancellations got much worse, as I've seen three E2's cancelled in the same hour yesterday. The next E2 was due to come in 25 mins. Any explanation?

This kind of stuff isn't really busconnects related. I think there's a Dublin bus fleet group on this website that the bus allocation chat might be more suited for

One of Go Ahead's Streetlite's, namely 12115, broke down on the L3 route on Friday.

There's a Youtube video of the bus placed on a recovery vehicle from a company called Kelly's. I would assume that the bus was going back on that hired recovery vehicle to allow the bus get repaired by the mechanics at Ballymount. Why does Go Ahead hire other companies out to bring back their own buses when they break down on their own routes?

Are Go Ahead not allowed to have their own recovery vehicles on site within the depot?

They should have one or two of them kept on site in Ballymount to bring their own buses back to the depot when a bus from their fleet gets broken down on one of their routes. DB & BÉ have them in their depots but why not Go Ahead?

Also; was there a replacement bus available from Ballymount to take over the bus that broke down on the L3 route that day?

Kelly's is based in Kilmacanogue so a lot closer compared to Ballymount. Also BÉ may have some recovery vehicles, but a lot of photos I've seen online of BÉ coaches being recovered usually has a hired-in recovery vehicle rather than a BÉ owned one.

The turning loop finally got some kerbing a few years ago, but strangely was left without a stop.

You seem to be the only person in this thread that doesn't know that without buses BusConnects wouldn't be a thing…

I think anyone with functioning brain is aware of that. People just aren't interested in the individual fleet number of a bus used on a particular try the Bus Enhusiasts sub forum for info about allocations etc.

It's in the name, BusConnects. Unlike the old network, not every housing estate in Dublin can have a bus direct to O'Connell Street and College Green (the 'An Lár' mindset). It was a wasteful use of resources with infrequent bus routes paralleling each other (often running at the same times) and even paralleling rail lines.

The public consultations were done to death and this is the network we have, with many compromises to people who submitted an observation. Some of my observations were accepted and routes changed, some (most) were not. My local routes have changed, I get on with it. BusConnects follows what other good bus networks all over Europe do; lots of high frequency routes with multiple high frequency transfer opportunities.

Commuters all over Europe manage to change between different modes of transport every day with zero issue, we can do it here too. Tens of thousand of people every day change from Tara Street or Connolly Stations to 'An Lár'. There's posts in this thread and elsewhere going back years of people not happy about having to change buses or having to walk an extra 100 metres to a much more frequent route. Thankfully, these people are a minority and if that is their beliefs, then it's likely that public transport is not for them. The network is not changing as quickly as I or most would like, but any route that has been 'BusConnected' so far has been a success with an increase in passenger numbers compared to the closest previous versions of the routes.