BusConnects Dublin - Big changes to Bus Network

I always find it funny when people lay all the blame at the NTA’s feet!

The VT class were introduced in 2006, the NTA wasn’t created until December 2009 and even then DB continued to be the ones buying buses for at least next 5 years or so, I think it was the GT class in 2018 when the NTA took over fleet purchasing.

So for more than 10 years, DB themselves decided not to buy anymore VT class buses, returning to dual axle after their experience with the VT’s. Which would suggest to me that DB themselves weren’t particularly happy with them. I would guess some combination of higher up front cost, very high fuel cost, going through tires quickly and poor dwell time made them unattractive for DB too.

You can easily see that from how much DB themselves avoided using them as much as possible, only using them at peak times for many years, etc.

Yes, now come 2021 or so, it is time to replace the VT class and this is now the NTA’s decision, but I suggest it isn’t straight forward decision now.

First of all, the NTA have rightfully made the decision that any new buses bought must be zero emission. There are very few triaxle EV buses, the only one I’m aware of is the Enviro500 and the NTA haven’t seemed to be impressed with the Enviro400.

But more broadly, tri-axles buses seem to have largely disappeared for the right hand drive market, even diesel ones. As far as I know, London Bus doesn’t have any tri-axle buses, they trialled a hybrid prototype back in 2018, but apparently it was a disaster, very unreliable and they didn’t buy any more.

Interestingly in Hong Kong, they have just introduced a new hydrogen powered triaxle and ADL have just a few months ago delivered the first Enviro500EV to the HK market. So it seems not all hope is lost.

But I do think it would be a much more difficult decision than people here realise. Tri-axles just aren’t popular in this part of the world and there just aren’t many options. Right hand drive double deckers are already a pretty unique niche market, zero emission tri-axles is like a super niche market, a niche of a niche. If they were to buy them, they would likely be a relatively small bespoke order and thus very expensive, while being high risk.

I don’t think it s a case that we will never get more, specially with the driver shortages, they are more needed then ever, however it certainly isn’t a simple question.

This is an interesting point, which sort of points to some of the overlapping weirdness between DB and BE.

These longer routes feel more like commuter routes, which should really be covered by BE (or GAI) commuter services, which of course have double decker tri-axles coaches, which would be more suited to folks sitting for an hour or more.

Having these long routes using city buses designed for lots of standing and then them having lots of frequent stops along the way and then trying to squeeze city tri-axles onto them with their very poor dwell times is all a recipe for a poor service IMO.

These sort of commuter towns would be better served by an actual commuter service, double decker coaches and express routes with very limited stopping. But as you say that runs into disagreements with other operators.

As an aside, DB could of course also start operating commuter like coaches and buses, like GAI have, both city buses and commuter ones.

LMAO some one needs to tell BE they can't have standing passengers on coaches, because I've definitely been on BE coaches with people standing, for instance the coach from Cork to Killarney! It is the wild west outside Dublin.

BTW I just checked the legislation, it seems it isn't a bus/coach divide, rather if you have standing passengers or not. Even a coach can have standing passengers as long as it keeps the speed under 65km/h

Also Double Decker (and overdecker) coaches tend to have plenty of space for wheelchairs and prams on the lower deck, it isn't an issue for them.

Yes I understand why DB and BE don't compete, but I don't think that leads to the best outcome for the travelling public.