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BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

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Comments

  • #15902
    cgcsb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,189 ✭✭✭✭cgcsb


    I'd say customer care across every sector across the western world is gone, forget it. It's been automated and indianised to the point of no longer existing in any meaningful terms. We're lucky the tfi customer care is in Ireland



  • #15903
    Hippodrome Song Owl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Hippodrome Song Owl


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123680849#Comment_123680849

    It's the absolute worst since TFI took over customer service. DB used to provide meaningful, timely responses to queries on twitter. Now it's not answered for hours and the info is just "check our app or the operator website". GAI was always useless, but DB on twitter was incredibly helpful.



  • #15904
    L1011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 73,734 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    All outsourced to Crapita now.

    They recently told me to contact Luas about an issue with an Irish Rail service.



  • #15905
    ercork
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 179 ✭✭ercork


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123679617#Comment_123679617

    I though that the F-spine and O route were to be rolled out together. Is that not the case now?



  • #15906
    AX636
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 151 ✭✭AX636


    The O route won't be coming for a while



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  • #15907
    George White
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,815 ✭✭✭George White


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123681651#Comment_123681651

    And they hung me up three times in a row while i was in mid-conversation.



  • #15908
    stop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 904 ✭✭✭stop


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123679953#Comment_123679953

    For now maybe, but the 72 which replaces the 122 was listed as 30 min peak frequency.

    a3-frequency-tables-061020-fa.pdf



  • #15909
    trellheim
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,213 ✭✭✭trellheim


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123681952#Comment_123681952

    Well the E and the O were supposed to be, but that didn't happen either , so its whatever the NTA can pull together



  • #15910
    Arhanedus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39 ✭Arhanedus


    The O was meant to be launched inbetween the E and F spines, yes. But that route needed single deckers and the EAs still haven't come back to service, so it'll likely be another long while until it is launched.



  • #15911
    trellheim
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,213 ✭✭✭trellheim


    The route chosen for the O requires singledeckers, just for Macken St overbridge, but not that they be electric.

    They could run it with diesel singledeckers if they wanted , they'd have to take them off other routes for sure and swap them for doubles , but the O could have launched if the will was there

    plenty of people here will tell you the infra at Heuston that needs changing is only trivial ( well why hasnt it been done yet ? )



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  • #15912
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,559 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123684321#Comment_123684321

    They could run it with diesel singledeckers if they wanted , they'd have to take them off other routes for sure and swap them for doubles , but the O could have launched if the will was there

    The issue with this idea is that the Streetlite single deckers that Go Ahead operate are single door buses. Single door buses really wouldn't work for what is supposed to be a high frequency jump on/jump off route like the O, you really need at least two doors.

    The EA's are the only bus that we have that tick the box of both single decker and dual door.

    The only option I could see would be if they were to buy (or lease) some dual door diesel single deckers, like the MCV Evora that Aircoach got for the airport car park services, obviously not ideal.

    Of course it remains odd that the Enviro200EV's happily operate around Athlone, so I'm not certain if it is what is really delaying the O.



  • #15913
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,032 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123684166#Comment_123684166

    You also need to recruit a LOT of additional drivers to operate the O, which seems to be the other main stumbling block - the other phases don’t need anything like as many as this one high frequency route.

    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123684321#Comment_123684321

    Aside from the ongoing issues with the Dublin Bus EA fleet, the drivers they need to operate the O don’t exist right now and with the recruitment issues that both companies are facing, I suspect that it’s going to remain challenging to recruit them because an 8 minute frequency requires a lot of additional staff.

    Where are these double decks going to come from to swap the diesel single decks to the O? They have pretty much exhausted the stock of stored old buses that can be used to supplement the fleet at this stage, and as new charging facilities slowly come on stream and facilitate more electric buses into service, those electric vehicles will have to replace those same older diesel vehicles that are reaching the 20 year old mark.

    As for the infrastructure works at Heuston, they aren’t going to carry them out until a few months before the route is actually going to happen - there’s no point in doing it until then.

    There is a perfect storm at the moment, with the staff recruitment issues, problems with the fleet of buses planned for the route and the extremely slow progress of delivering the necessary charging facilities and power upgrades to the depots to allow more electric buses into service.

    Unfortunately, I think you’re going to be stuck with the 11 & 11b for a while yet.



  • #15914
    Tusky
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,097 ✭✭✭✭Tusky


    The O is now scheduled for "late 2026 or early 2027" according to a summer update pamphlet issued by Paschal Donohoe. Not sure if that had been known. The delays are outrageous.



  • #15915
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,032 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123686230#Comment_123686230

    Read my post above.



  • #15916
    dublinman1990
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 9,096 ✭✭✭dublinman1990


    Wow. That's farcical & very bad news for the O.

    Why is it given such a long delay yet again?

    It's becoming a long running joke at this stage.

    I assume there would be a lot of anger from the public now if they heard about this massive delay given to this major orbital route.



  • #15917
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,032 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Contract signed for first CBC works.

    https://busconnects.ie/nta-awards-contract-to-gmc-for-the-delivery-of-the-first-busconnects-core-bus-corridor-scheme/



  • #15918
    cgcsb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,189 ✭✭✭✭cgcsb


    So the nta downgraded the 46a to the 11 for 2 whole years, no consultation, not even an appology after the fact, wow.



  • #15919
    StreetLight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,514 ✭✭✭StreetLight


    Over a quarter of a billion euro for one bus corridor. I wonder will the NTA be as generous in allocating the wages to find drivers to operate it.



  • #15920
    VonLuck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭VonLuck


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123688785#Comment_123688785

    I don't like people getting carried away with these headlines without digging into it first. What was the actual final contract figure? What other works are proposed as part of this corridor? Will there be large drainage, electrical, gas and communication infrastructure upgrades which in themselves would cost a fortune to replace?



  • #15921
    StreetLight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,514 ✭✭✭StreetLight


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123688843#Comment_123688843

    And I don't like people being instantly dismissive whenever an issue of driver welfare is raised. These are the very people who will be operating at the forefront of these projects at all hours. Tell me why they shouldn't be considered in the same sentence as an infrastructure upgrade?



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  • #15922
    cgcsb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,189 ✭✭✭✭cgcsb


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123688785#Comment_123688785

    That is very presumptuous of you to call what is proposed a 'bus corridor'. It is an additional 500m of bus lane, maybe 3kms of cycle route and 2 notional 'bus-gates' that won't be implemented in practice. It would have been better but the NTA drive to ignore it's own design standards and water down it's own schemes has made the scheme effectively useless in improving bus priority (the whole point of the project).



  • #15923
    BlueSkyDreams
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,424 ✭✭✭BlueSkyDreams


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689027#Comment_123689027

    The sooner we can prioritise an actual underground network, the better.

    Car ownership is still increasing, as is the population. Bus routes will always only have a finite capacity as its not possible to run them on a bus lane majority routing, where 80% or more of the route is bus dedicated.

    We tinker with the easy option, bus routes, and ignore what is really needed, an underground network.

    We will have a metro population of 2.5 million by end of 2030 and we probably still wont have a shovel in the ground by then for the metro, let alone an integrated network.



  • #15924
    cgcsb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,189 ✭✭✭✭cgcsb


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689067#Comment_123689067

    In all likelihood metro will be under construction by 2027, with some enabling works likely to commence sooner.



  • #15925
    Daith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,277 ✭✭✭Daith


    Regardless of the Metro, we're still going to need a strong bus service as our backbone of public transport



  • #15926
    AngryLips
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,861 ✭✭✭AngryLips


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689067#Comment_123689067

    BusConnects was meant to be the quick fix for the city, but if it takes just as long to implement then why didn't they just start with Metro to begin with?



  • #15927
    BlueSkyDreams
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,424 ✭✭✭BlueSkyDreams


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689115#Comment_123689115

    We will believe it when we see it.

    Every milestone has been missed in the past. I dont see why it will be different this time.

    If its 2030 we will be doing "well."



  • #15928
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,032 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689143#Comment_123689143

    I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding arising from totally unrealistic original timeframes given by the NTA PR people.

    The infrastructure element of BusConnects was actually envisaged as a 10 year project from the outset but that wasn’t communicated clearly. It’ll probably end up as a 15 year project by the time the last CBC is delivered hopefully by 2033.



  • #15929
    AngryLips
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,861 ✭✭✭AngryLips


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689175#Comment_123689175

    If you're planning something over a ten-year timeframe then really you need to be planning something a bit more ambitious than renumbering some busses for the city IMO



  • #15930
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,032 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689180#Comment_123689180

    I wasn’t talking about the revised network - that’s a completely different project but that unfortunately is taking far longer than it should due to the recruitment issues that the housing crisis and our economy’s near full employment is causing.

    I’m talking about the infrastructure - the 12 Core Bus Corridors. That is an entirely different project and delivery of the 12 core bus corridors is what was envisaged as a 10 year project.



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  • #15931
    BlueSkyDreams
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,424 ✭✭✭BlueSkyDreams


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689386#Comment_123689386

    2033 completion, from a 2018 start, is still an awful long time to deliver bus route upgrades in fairness.



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