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The Dublin Coach Experience

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    #332
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    And newer vehicles couldn't be used either as an excuse as db still use 2000 but only pulled much older vehicles recently.


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    #333
    bebeman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭bebeman


    devnull wrote: »
    Can you back up that claim with a source?

    The NTA has no control over rosters of a commercial operator whether it would be tours or an intercity, urban, interurban or other types of commercial services since that is a commercial decision.

    Tours and other specific targeted services are also not subject to time separation best practices that apply to urban, interurban, interurban express, commuter, rural or multi-stop services that are operated by commercial operators.



    Sounds more like a conspiracy theory to me.

    If they're doing that, which I don't believe they are, they can't be doing it very well since the new entrant to the market appears to be pulling out leaving the two long established operators to fight it out once again.

    Got it from the horses mouth, a driver on the tours for 15+ year was telling us all about it just a few months ago.
    He now longer drives the tour bus and not just him but many others who have done them for years have now moved off them.
    They are drivers who where doing them for 10+.
    You dont have to believe it but its true.
    The NTA is setting timetables and rosters and they are what we drivers call animals.


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    #334
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    In the years to come DB will probably become an existant but invisible company no will will even know they still exist apart from employees, bus enthusiast's and people like me who frequent this forum not nessecrily a bad thing.

    The NTA clearly do not want DB, BE or IE existing thats more or less the reason they were set up in the first place but the unions will not agree to this, a compromise will met that will allow DB to continue to exist in invisible form and their employees will given the same wage/pension they have currently have.

    DB will exist but will have no corprate identity, no glossy website, no livery and most relevant to this no commercial services as their sole source income will be the contract the contract the NTA give them. All employees on their commercial services will be re-assigned to regular services and the commercial services will be sold off to a private company.

    Thats why they were rebranded DoDublin so in the long run they can become a subsidary of DB and sold off to the higgest bidder. Its not nessecarily a bad thing either as DB will be able to focus fully on PSO services.


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    #335
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    bebeman wrote: »
    devnull wrote: »
    Can you back up that claim with a source?

    The NTA has no control over rosters of a commercial operator whether it would be tours or an intercity, urban, interurban or other types of commercial services since that is a commercial decision.

    Tours and other specific targeted services are also not subject to time separation best practices that apply to urban, interurban, interurban express, commuter, rural or multi-stop services that are operated by commercial operators.



    Sounds more like a conspiracy theory to me.

    If they're doing that, which I don't believe they are, they can't be doing it very well since the new entrant to the market appears to be pulling out leaving the two long established operators to fight it out once again.

    Got it from the horses mouth, a driver on the tours for 15+ year was telling us all about it just a few months ago.
    He now longer drives the tour bus and not just him but many others who have done them for years have now moved off them.
    They are drivers who where doing them for 10+.
    You dont have to believe it but its true.
    The NTA is setting timetables and rosters and they are what we drivers call animals.

    So basically we should take your word for it and it's such a big scandal that nobody from the union has mentioned it publicly in an official capacity despite it being known for a few months sounds very far fetched for me and just a wild hyperbolic claim to have a dig at the NTA by any means possible.


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    #336
    bebeman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭bebeman


    devnull wrote: »
    The NTA has no control over rosters of a commercial operator whether it would be tours or an intercity, urban, interurban or other types of commercial services since that is a commercial decision.
    .

    Are the Nightlinks not a commercial service of Dublin Bus?
    Did the NTA not declare that the FTP was now accepted on the Nightlinks?
    Has the NTA not stated in the new fare revisions that the PSO government money has not increased in 7 years?

    The NTA does things that are not supposed to do.


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    #337
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    bebeman wrote: »
    devnull wrote: »
    The NTA has no control over rosters of a commercial operator whether it would be tours or an intercity, urban, interurban or other types of commercial services since that is a commercial decision.
    .

    Are the Nightlinks not a commercial service of Dublin Bus?
    Did the NTA not declare that the FTP was now accepted on the Nightlinks?
    Has the NTA not stated in the new fare revisions that the PSO government money has not increased in 7 years?

    The NTA does things that are not supposed to do.

    Pso increased in 2016 and this year and will increase again next year.

    You should read the company annual reports and the NTA annual report and the recent budget announcements and you will see that in black and white.

    Seems whoever is giving you information isn't very reliable.


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    #338
    bebeman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭bebeman


    devnull wrote: »
    Pso increased in 2016 and this year and will increase again next year.

    You should read the company annual reports and the NTA annual report and the recent budget announcements and you will see that in black and white.

    Seems whoever is giving you information isn't very reliable.

    Page 14 of the NTA fare report from Friday.
    " The payments that Dublin Bus receive from the Department of Social Protection for carrying people with free travel passes has been frozen for the past 7years at 2010 levels and this is resulting in fare paying passengers partially subsidising those with free travel."
    Official NTA document in black and white, why the do you have blinkers on regarding the NTA?
    They can do no wrong in your eyes, when the reality is very different.


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    #339
    end of the road
    Registered Users Posts: 28,989 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    In the years to come DB will probably become an existant but invisible company no will will even know they still exist apart from employees, bus enthusiast's and people like me who frequent this forum not nessecrily a bad thing.

    The NTA clearly do not want DB, BE or IE existing thats more or less the reason they were set up in the first place but the unions will not agree to this, a compromise will met that will allow DB to continue to exist in invisible form and their employees will given the same wage/pension they have currently have.

    DB will exist but will have no corprate identity, no glossy website, no livery and most relevant to this no commercial services as their sole source income will be the contract the contract the NTA give them. All employees on their commercial services will be re-assigned to regular services and the commercial services will be sold off to a private company.

    Thats why they were rebranded DoDublin so in the long run they can become a subsidary of DB and sold off to the higgest bidder. Its not nessecarily a bad thing either as DB will be able to focus fully on PSO services.


    i don't agree. dublin bus and bus eireann are entitled to operate commercial services and if there is any attempt to remove those services from the companies then that must be stamped out.
    the NTA's job is to regulate service provision and that is what they should be focusing on. not engaging in politics over the state operators.

    ticking a box on a form does not make you of a religion.



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    #340
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    I see that from TripAdvisor there is reports suggesting that Dublin Coach cut back the service on the hop on hop off tours to one an hour earlier this month and there are quite a few people who were not warned about it and thought they were booking the standard hop on and hop off tour.
    bebeman wrote: »
    Page 14 of the NTA fare report from Friday.
    " The payments that Dublin Bus receive from the Department of Social Protection for carrying people with free travel passes has been frozen for the past 7years at 2010 levels and this is resulting in fare paying passengers partially subsidising those with free travel."

    You were talking about PSO originally and PSO has risen for the last number of years and will carry on rising as has been outlined in the recent budget but now I note you change tack and start talking about something totally different when I've called you out for making claims which do not stand up to scrutiny.

    The Free Travel pass grant is not PSO, it's not even something that the NTA have control over because it's a scheme that is run by the Department of Social Protection and decisions on that scheme are decided by them and not the NTA.


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    #341
    bebeman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭bebeman


    devnull wrote: »
    The Free Travel pass grant is not PSO, it's not even something that the NTA have control over because it's a scheme that is run by the Department of Social Protection and decisions on that scheme are decided by them and not the NTA.

    It was the NTA that said FTP is now for use on nightlink, thats a DB commercial service, so the question is why are the NTA interfering in the running of nightlink?


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    #342
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    end of the road wrote: »
    i don't agree. dublin bus and bus eireann are entitled to operate commercial services and if there is any attempt to remove those services from the companies then that must be stamped out.
    the NTA's job is to regulate service provision and that is what they should be focusing on. not engaging in politics over the state operators.

    I don't have a problem with DB operating commercial as long as they don't interfere with regular PSO services which is what they should focusing on. Questions could also be asked whether the commercial are 1. Profitable and 2. The profits going back into PSO.

    Also if you think the NTA should be a regulator do you think that when Go-Ahead come in to take 10% of DB routes they should be able to come in set their own fares, run to their own timetables and run buses in their own livery.

    From 2019 DB and GA will just be customers of the NTA and not their own companies with a corporate identity etc. I don't know what will happen to commercial sevices post 2019 but they may end being sold off or the NTA may not renew their licence.


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    #343
    AlekSmart
    Registered Users Posts: 14,005 ✭✭✭✭AlekSmart


    bebeman wrote: »
    It was the NTA that said FTP is now for use on nightlink, thats a DB commercial service, so the question is why are the NTA interfering in the running of nightlink?

    Since 2014 the NTA in it's annual Statistical Bulletin on Commercial Bus Services in Ireland,https://www.nationaltransport.ie/publications/statistics/bulletins/, has listed only Airlink as being a Dublin Bus commercial offering.

    With the NTA's intention being the replacement of Nitelink with a full 24/7 bus service,it can be seen that the introduction of FTS availability is merely getting things in order for the impending expansion of PSO Night time services.


    Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

    Charles Mackay (1812-1889)



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    #344
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Dublin Coach tours now seem to only be operating once per hour, I've only seen the vintage deckers.

    They've removed the timetable from their website as well so it's not exactly obvious for would-be customers how often the service is.


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    #345
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Another 4x 2009 ex Megabus Vanhool Deckers now have joined the fleet.

    Saw two of them on the Quays tonight still with Megabus.com on the front.

    Guess that will see off some more of the Neoplans.


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    #346
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    It’s a feast or a famine with Dublin Coach


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    #347
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    I seen one last night with big huge stuck on monster teeth across front and sides.


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    #348
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,744 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    On a 142 Turismo, currently broken down in Limerick! :rolleyes:


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    #349
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    O5 Setra blocking Tara street turn onto burgh quay earlier....

    Engine cover up traffic was nightmare due to traffic trying to get around.


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    #350
    brokenarms
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭brokenarms


    How do drivers report problems in DC?

    Must be a very flawed system.


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    #351
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,744 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    Quackster wrote: »
    On a 142 Turismo, currently broken down in Limerick! :rolleyes:

    'Luckily' we limped as far as UL where we waited for the coach from Ennis due in 30 mins later and transferred onto that. If we had broken down on the way from Tralee to Limerick or if we had been traveling in the opposite direction, the delay would have been much worse.

    In any case, given this is the third significant breakdown I've experienced in the limited number of times I've traveled with them, I think you'd want to be rather foolish to depend on them to make a flight from Dublin Airport!


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    #352
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Since the 2014 Tourismos are the newest coaches they have apart from the 2016/2017 ones used exclusively on the Belfast route, you'd have hoped that they were dependable!


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    #353
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    HHHmmmmmm a week with no on thread activity.

    No DC breakdowns in the last week?

    They have stopped advertising on jobs.ie for Cork based drivers i have also noticed.


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    #354
    belfast stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭belfast stephen


    was talking to a guy from Mercedes Dublin coach only have 10 Tourism's on order 5 are in Ireland and 5 are still at evobus Coventry 


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    #355
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    belfast stephen wrote: »
    was talking to a guy from Mercedes Dublin coach only have 10 Tourism's on order 5 are in Ireland and 5 are still at evobus Coventry 

    So the 30 was complete fantasy?


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    #356
    belfast stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭belfast stephen


    Cork Truck Driver wrote: »
    belfast stephen wrote: »
    was talking to a guy from Mercedes Dublin coach only have 10 Tourism's on order 5 are in Ireland and 5 are still at evobus Coventry 

    So the 30 was complete fantasy?
    it might be only 10 then maybe more next year


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    #357
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,587 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    Looks like the 2004 and 2005 Setras will see service well into 2018 then.


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    #358
    Truckermal
    Registered Users Posts: 6,048 ✭✭✭Truckermal


    devnull wrote: »
    Looks like the 2004 and 2005 Setras will see a lot more breakdowns and fires well into 2018 then.

    FYP..:D


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    #359
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    devnull wrote: »
    Looks like the 2004 and 2005 Setras will see service well into 2018 then.

    Will we start a poll for how many breakdowns/fires DC will have in 2018?

    I bet between now and the end of 2017 there will be an average of 1 a week, whether we hear about it or not is another issue.


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    #360
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Cork Truck Driver wrote: »
    Will we start a poll for how many breakdowns/fires DC will have in 2018?

    I bet between now and the end of 2017 there will be an average of 1 a week, whether we hear about it or not is another issue.

    If its breakdowns its going to be more then 1.


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    #361
    mikemac2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,927 ✭✭✭mikemac2


    Got the coach from Dublin to Dungarvan, bang on time , perfect service

    Now getting the bus back and they are gas. :D A driver getting a lift showed up with a container of 2 liters of oil. Discussing two breakdowns in Cork & Kilkenny and also issues with loose connections on bulbs

    Its not giving me much confidence that we are going to reach Dublin if drivers are carrying around oil ha!


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