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The Dublin Coach Experience

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    #152
    thelad95
    Registered Users Posts: 7,812 ✭✭✭thelad95


    I was on the Cork service last week and there was a massive crack and hole in the windscreen. This bus left Dublin at 10pm and the driver said there was nobody in head office to answer the phone so a replacement wouldn't be possible. Bad joke of a company at times.


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    #153
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,664 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    soundman45 wrote: »
    Look at YouTube video of dublin coach speeding on outside lane of three lane section of N7 approaching Naas I think.

    I've seen DC vehicles at this alright... they're also pretty aggressive when changing lanes in heavy traffic.

    Called them once as a coach was lane-hopping at speed and then diverted off at the Naas exit only to rejoin on the other side in an attempt to skip the bottleneck as the lanes drop from 3-2 (southbound). After bullying his way in front of a car, I rang them about it but they didn't seem too bothered tbh.

    Certainly wouldn't inspire me to use the service anyway.


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    #154
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,835 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    I've seen DC vehicles at this alright... they're also pretty aggressive when changing lanes in heavy traffic.

    Called them once as a coach was lane-hopping at speed and then diverted off at the Naas exit only to rejoin on the other side in an attempt to skip the bottleneck as the lanes drop from 3-2 (southbound). After bullying his way in front of a car, I rang them about it but they didn't seem too bothered tbh.

    Certainly wouldn't inspire me to use the service anyway.

    Should have called traffic watch


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    #155
    mixery
    Registered Users Posts: 2,724 ✭✭✭mixery


    thelad95 wrote: »
    I was on the Cork service last week and there was a massive crack and hole in the windscreen. This bus left Dublin at 10pm and the driver said there was nobody in head office to answer the phone so a replacement wouldn't be possible. Bad joke of a company at times.

    Friday evening I've passed a DC coach coming into Dungarvan - going real slow, hazard lights on, half way in the hard shoulder, with a growing queue of cars behind it.
    All these instances would definitely put one off using their services.


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    #156
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Those coaches were a great machine but when they have 3million or more miles on them and the state of disrepair I can't actually believe they can actually pass a cvrt(doe).


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    #157
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,735 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    mixery wrote: »
    Friday evening I've passed a DC coach coming into Dungarvan - going real slow, hazard lights on, half way in the hard shoulder, with a growing queue of cars behind it.
    All these instances would definitely put one off using their services.

    Unfortunately where there is no viable alternative, beggars can't be choosers.

    Hopefully the end-goal is to sell up to the likes of Citylink.


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    #158
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Well I had another experience.

    The bus arrived into Burgh Quay about 20 minutes late. It was one of the crappy Setra 415s again. No toilet on a bus doing a 4 hour journey! We had to stop at Kildare Village for a toilet stop as well as an extended stop in UL. Also passed by a parked Setra in Newcastle West, I later found out that it had broken down previously and some of the passengers that boarded our bus had come from it.

    I chose Dublin Coach because the timetable claimed a 10:05 arrival into Abbeyfeale. But it was near enough to 11pm by the time we got there. I would have been only slightly worse off getting the 17:05 Heuston to Tralee train and a lot more comfortable.

    Never again!


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    #159
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    Seen on flickr.

    It says it all about them really.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottishpullman/36665231680/in/photostream/


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    #160
    joegriffinjnr
    Registered Users Posts: 686 ✭✭✭joegriffinjnr


    Cork Truck Driver wrote: »
    Seen on flickr.

    It says it all about them really.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottishpullman/36665231680/in/photostream/


    30, yes 30 brand new Mercedes coaches joing the fleet shortly, hopefully this will wipe out all them battered Setras. As for them other double decks <snipped>... I really dont know how they are still on the road.


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    #161
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    joegriffinjnr wrote: »
    30, yes 30 brand new Mercedes coaches joing the fleet shortly, hopefully this will wipe out all them battered Setras. As for them other double deck deathtraps.... I really dont know how they ate still on the road.

    All leased no doubt?


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    #162
    bleary
    Registered Users Posts: 495 ✭✭bleary


    On one now. Grand comfortable on time and cheap. I think the service is great really . No complaints


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    #163
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    bleary wrote: »
    On one now. Grand comfortable on time and cheap. I think the service is great really . No complaints

    A Setra?


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    #164
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,735 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    bleary wrote: »
    On one now. Grand comfortable on time and cheap. I think the service is great really . No complaints

    Service is often perfectly fine. Problem is things just go to **** way too regularly.


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    #165
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    bleary wrote: »
    On one now. Grand comfortable on time and cheap. I think the service is great really . No complaints

    If its a new bus I would certainly like to think its good and no complaints but the fleet are in absolute disrepair.

    How a cvrt test can be passed is beyond me.


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    #166
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    If its a new bus I would certainly like to think its good and no complaints but the fleet are in absolute disrepair.

    How a cvrt test can be passed is beyond me.

    CVRT kicks in at 1 year old.


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    #167
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,586 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    I got the impression by the age of their fleet and the general condition of it, along with the cancellations and delays, that they must not have been awash with finances so I'm very surprised that they have been able to fund 30 new coaches, even if it is on a lease.

    That seems to suggest that perhaps the issues with the fleet were not down to a lack of finance after all which makes it all the more perplexing wy it has felt so unloved for the last 12-18 months since they clearly must have some resources.


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    #168
    thelad95
    Registered Users Posts: 7,812 ✭✭✭thelad95


    There's a significant implicit cost to the continuous no shows/breakdowns/massive delays that the company may have decided that they would be better off investing in a decent, reliable fleet instead of all these persistent problems.

    I can't help but feel that the Cork/Waterford/Kilkenny/Dublin M9 route will still have the crappy old setras. It seems to be the route they care about the least.


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    #169
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Cork Truck Driver wrote: »
    CVRT kicks in at 1 year old.

    I was talking about anything older not the new ones.


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    #170
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,586 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    thelad95 wrote: »
    There's a significant implicit cost to the continuous no shows/breakdowns/massive delays that the company may have decided that they would be better off investing in a decent, reliable fleet instead of all these persistent problems.

    Indeed but leasing 30 brand new Mercedes Tourismo coaches cannot be cheaper than that, especially when you recognise that they were barely spending anything on the older coaches or so it seemed from the state some of them were in.


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    #171
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,463 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    devnull wrote: »
    Indeed but leasing 30 brand new Mercedes Tourismo coaches cannot be cheaper than that, especially when you recognise that they were barely spending anything on the older coaches or so it seemed from the state some of them were in.

    If they really do have 30 new coaches ready to deliver, then they most of ordered them over a year ago. Perhaps they cut back on maintenance, etc. to help pay for these new coaches.


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    #172
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,586 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    bk wrote: »
    If they really do have 30 new coaches ready to deliver, then they most of ordered them over a year ago. Perhaps they cut back on maintenance, etc. to help pay for these new coaches.

    There's no way they are owned, they'd be paying over €10m and the last accounts for Dublin Coach logged showed them in a poor financial position.


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    #173
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,463 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    devnull wrote: »
    There's no way they are owned, they'd be paying over €10m and the last accounts for Dublin Coach logged showed them in a poor financial position.

    Even if leasing, I'd assume they would have had to put money down ahead of them arriving, at least a deposit. I'd assume a deposit on 30 new leased coaches would be significant money?

    Cut back on maintenance, to help pay for the deposit, based on the assumption that new coaches won't need as much maintenance. Just a theory.


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    #174
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    Anyone know what the cost of leasing those things is?


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    #175
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,586 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    bk wrote: »
    Even if leasing, I'd assume they would have had to put money down ahead of them arriving, at least a deposit. I'd assume a deposit on 30 new leased coaches would be significant money?

    Cut back on maintenance, to help pay for the deposit, based on the assumption that new coaches won't need as much maintenance. Just a theory.

    Their auditor in their last accounts was scathing about their financial situation basically saying that they had a very precarious position in relations to assets net liabilities, unless they had an investor put money into the company, it would seem impossible that they paid for them new.

    The cost of a Panther to Aircoach spec was said to be approx €290,000 and the Panther isn't even the top model in the Plaxton Range, I would say at the very very least Dublin Coach would be paying €350,000 a coach for two axle average spec Tourismos, add more for three axles and a higher spec.


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    #176
    JCX BXC
    Registered Users Posts: 18,106 ✭✭✭✭JCX BXC


    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/273632/passengers-have-lucky-escape-as-bus-catches-fire-in-limerick.html

    Real Dublin coach experience there.


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    #177
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    JCX BXC wrote: »
    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/273632/passengers-have-lucky-escape-as-bus-catches-fire-in-limerick.html

    Real Dublin coach experience there.

    Surprised this hasn’t happened to some of the Setra’s.

    That bus was a Mercedes Benz Citaro.


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    #178
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,643 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    How many have DC lost to fire now?

    Also, how does a service called Dublin Coach go down with locals running Limerick City services?


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    #179
    Shpudnik
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,581 ✭✭✭Shpudnik


    L1011 wrote: »
    How many have DC lost to fire now?

    Also, how does a service called Dublin Coach go down with locals running Limerick City services?
    It's never called Dublin Coach it's always "The green bus"


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    #180
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Cork Truck Driver wrote: »
    Surprised this hasn’t happened to some of the Setra’s.

    That bus was a Mercedes Benz Citaro.

    It has many were lost even when with air coach.


    That was a well used vehicle also it was no where near new.


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    #181
    Shpudnik
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,581 ✭✭✭Shpudnik


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    It has many were lost even when with air coach.


    That was a well used vehicle also it was no where near new.

    2003 I believe.


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