Dublin Coach Experience Discussion Thread

devnull · 04-11-2017 5:19pm

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!

boardsuser1 · 11-11-2017 4:50pm

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.

belfast stephen · 11-11-2017 7:39pm

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

boardsuser1 · 11-11-2017 7:40pm

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?

belfast stephen · 11-11-2017 9:56pm

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

devnull · 12-11-2017 1:04am

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

Truckermal · 12-11-2017 11:34am

devnull wrote: »

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

FYP..:D

boardsuser1 · 12-11-2017 11:44am

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.

punisher5112 · 12-11-2017 11:46am

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.

mikemac2 · 12-11-2017 11:49am

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

Now getting the bus back and they are gas.

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!

boardsuser1 · 12-11-2017 11:50am

punisher5112 wrote: »

If its breakdowns its going to be more then 1.

I probably should have put that bit in double figures :pac:

boardsuser1 · 12-11-2017 11:51am

mikemac2 wrote: »

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

Now getting the bus back and they are gas. A driver getting a lift showed up with a container of 2 liters of oil. Discussing a breakdown yesterday in Cork 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!

Just the 1 container of 2 litres of oil?

Depending on the levels they'd need alot more than that.

punisher5112 · 12-11-2017 11:53am

Cork Truck Driver wrote: »

Just the 1 container of 2 litres of oil?

Depending on the levels they'd need alot more than that.

Maybe that was his preferred beverage....

boardsuser1 · 12-11-2017 12:03pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

Maybe that was his preferred beverage....

Very true.

Was it Castrol GTX or Mobil 1 :pac:

mikemac2 · 12-11-2017 12:06pm

Sitting on the quays now in Waterford for the last 15 minutes and two drivers trying to fix something with the bulbs

I ain’t angry, it’s funny tbh

boardsuser1 · 12-11-2017 12:07pm

mikemac2 wrote: »

Sitting on the quays now in Waterford for the last 15 minutes and two drivers trying to fix something with the bulbs

I ain’t angry, it’s funny tbh

Is it a 2004 Setra?

punisher5112 · 12-11-2017 12:30pm

Cork Truck Driver wrote: »

Is it a 2004 Setra?

I wonder is it the vanhool2009 that has all LED fitted???¿

The bulb won't fit boss.

boardsuser1 · 12-11-2017 12:39pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

I wonder is it the vanhool2009 that has all LED fitted???¿

The bulb won't fit boss.

Jasus, that would be considered luxury on that route!

Not to mention having a digital tachograph.

Surely not acceptable die to delays etc.

I've counted on one hand how many times i have seen a coach with a digital tachograph unit fitted on the route since it started.

Almost everything is older than 2006.

devnull · 13-11-2017 5:07pm

I saw Mercedes Citaro 03KE16223 in Limerick at the weekend, which according to a post on another forum was supposed to be withdrawn and doesn't show up as on either of the Dublin Coach licenses on RTOL.ie.

Not sure if that is a replacement for the rigid citaro that caught fire.

Weepsie · 13-11-2017 5:58pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Edit : I forwarded on all my communicated to the NTA and DC. I'll see what they say.

Don't think I ever updated on this. I got a call very shortly after from a DC manager when I'd included the NTA in my complaint.

It of course lead nowhere and NTA said it wouldn't be in their remit to deal with this type of complaint. Said manager never rang back, never communicated again in any way. e-mails have gone unanswered.

eejoynt · 13-11-2017 6:00pm

could we not have a seperate thread for
"dublin coach - breakdowns, fires and pieces of coaches falling off on the road"

and leave the passenger experience bit for this thread?

punisher5112 · 13-11-2017 7:59pm

eejoynt wrote: »

could we not have a seperate thread for
"dublin coach - breakdowns, fires and pieces of coaches falling off on the road"

and leave the passenger experience bit for this thread?

No as it would only be like the service.... Absolutely terrible....

punisher5112 · 13-11-2017 8:01pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Don't think I ever updated on this. I got a call very shortly after from a DC manager when I'd included the NTA in my complaint.

It of course lead nowhere and NTA said it wouldn't be in their remit to deal with this type of complaint. Said manager never rang back, never communicated again in any way. e-mails have gone unanswered.

Bit like when I got onto them they replied once for an issue which was serious and never heard a thing after that.

devnull · 14-11-2017 12:27am

Group of the new Mercedes pretty well hidden here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/261240134020152/permalink/1215872351890254

Wonder if they are for a new service and they're hiding the livery?

If they really are expanding again rather than investing their existing routes that'd be pretty tragic.

devnull · 15-11-2017 12:53pm

They've just had a seventh Vanhool Decker delivered.

boardsuser1 · 15-11-2017 12:58pm

devnull wrote: »

They've just had a seventh Vanhool Decker delivered.

Ex Stagecoach?

questionmark? · 19-11-2017 2:47pm

Saw a Dublin Coach 04 reg broke down just outside Abbyfeale during the week. How is this company getting a customer base with these frequent breakdowns?

boardsuser1 · 19-11-2017 3:14pm

questionmark? wrote: »

Saw a Dublin Coach 04 reg broke down just outside Abbyfeale during the week. How is this company getting a customer base with these frequent breakdowns?

Any idea was it a Setra or Neoplan?

myshirt · 19-11-2017 3:17pm

Prices going up after Christmas apparently. Can't seem to see anything online about this. Don't they have to notify the Transport authority?

questionmark? · 19-11-2017 3:33pm

Cork Truck Driver wrote: »

Any idea was it a Setra or Neoplan?

99% sure it was a Setra. Was just outside Abbyfeale parked up on the hard shoulder.

boardsuser1 · 19-11-2017 8:31pm

questionmark? wrote: »

99% sure it was a Setra. Was just outside Abbyfeale parked up on the hard shoulder.

Given the mileage on the and the fact they are almost 14 years old they have served their purpose.

At a guess i reckon 3-4 million Km's on the Setra's.

When you combine repairs with potential lost revenue they are a major problem.

An odd breakdown here and there is to be expected in any walk of transport, but not on the scale of DC.

Breakdowns,fires,wheels falling off.

Fires can be contained with the right suppression equipment in engine bays.

Wheels falling off is as a result of poor maintenance or the driver not doing his daily walk around check and making sure all wheel nuts are in place with wheel nut indicators, but then again those coaches have hub caps on them where the nuts aren't visable, only on the Setra's have i seen this.

Some engine fires can be cause by something as simple as not topping up with water/coolant.

soundman45 · 19-11-2017 8:35pm

You hardly think that the run on the original engine. My bet is they are like triggers broom, original bus with 3 engine replacements and god knows everything else replaced also at this stage.

boardsuser1 · 19-11-2017 8:48pm

soundman45 wrote: »

You hardly think that the run on the original engine. My bet is they are like triggers broom, original bus with 3 engine replacements and god knows everything else replaced also at this stage.

https://youtu.be/BUl6PooveJE

Most likely reconditioned engines are used.

I’ve come across trucks with 500,000 on the clock getting their engines overhauled.

devnull · 19-11-2017 8:55pm

The thing with those Setras is that Aircoach would have worked those vehicles very hard, as that company is relatively unique in that it runs all of it's routes for pretty much 24 hours a day, 364 days a year.

The 700 goes back to half frequency for a couple of hours in the morning, the 702 and 703 run the same timetable 24 hours a day, the Belfast pretty much does the same (only two hours unserved in each direction) and the Cork has about 5 hours in the night on each direction with no service.

If you look at the Dublin Coach timetables generally they don't have such a round the clock operation that Aircoach do so it should in theory allow them to get better attention but you have to fact in these vehicles are old now and probably have close on to 3m km on them all if not more and as far as I know they are not on maintenance and spares contracts the likes of Volvo coaches tend to be these days.

It's the same with the Neoplans, they were also on pretty heavy duties with Stagecoach, both types of coaches were excellent in their day but their day is well past it now which is why Aircoach and Stagecoach got rid.

...__... · 27-11-2017 3:26pm

8 days without a coal effect heater going off must be a record now!!

Copper_pipe · 28-11-2017 11:13am

Prices gone up from Limerick to Dublin.

10 if you book online.
12 if you don’t.

devnull · 28-11-2017 11:57am

Nothing on their website to say the price change, unless you go into the timetable, not exactly being transparent about the rise.

Matthew Gleeson · 02-12-2017 10:48am

Drivers on my last few trips have been really sound! No breakdowns and mostly on time! Had a few not show up but I think it was traffic related as 2 came at once. One left completely empty on the same trip

boardsuser1 · 02-12-2017 11:13am

Matthew Gleeson wrote: »

Drivers on my last few trips have been really sound! No breakdowns and mostly on time! Had a few not show up but I think it was traffic related as 2 came at once. One left completely empty on the same trip

They must be reading the comments on Boards.ie :pac:

john boye · 02-12-2017 12:33pm

Had to laugh at a pathetic dig from a DB driver on College Green one evening during the week. Traffic was absolutely rammed at Trinity for a while but eventually a bus got through. When he got to the stop an old woman getting on asked him what was going on at Trinity and he said "Ye know them yellow tour buses? Well they're blocking up College St and we can't get through". I just said "they're gone weeks mate" and he said nothing.

s14driftking · 02-12-2017 5:20pm

2 being towed up the m7 yesterday. One by keoghs the other by Corcoran’s.
Had a run in with one of these during the week he completely cut me up on the red cow roundabout I barely missed him by inches with the truck. Complained on there Facebook page but they don’t seem to bothered.

punisher5112 · 02-12-2017 6:30pm

john boye wrote: »

Had to laugh at a pathetic dig from a DB driver on College Green one evening during the week. Traffic was absolutely rammed at Trinity for a while but eventually a bus got through. When he got to the stop an old woman getting on asked him what was going on at Trinity and he said "Ye know them yellow tour buses? Well they're blocking up College St and we can't get through". I just said "they're gone weeks mate" and he said nothing.

They still have the old London bus tours going though, maybe he meant the red one as they do double park just at the bend onto dame st, along with taxi, deliveries, cars etc etc

john boye · 02-12-2017 7:30pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

They still have the old London bus tours going though, maybe he meant the red one as they do double park just at the bend onto dame st, along with taxi, deliveries, cars etc etc

Yeah I did wonder if he meant the routemasters but I had walked up by College st a few minutes before and there was nothing stopped there. In fairness, There could well have been something blocking up Nassau St that I couldn't see but he specifically said College St.

tabbey · 02-12-2017 10:34pm

s14driftking wrote: »

Had a run in with one of these during the week he completely cut me up on the red cow roundabout I barely missed him by inches with the truck.

Red Cow roundabout has been gone many years.

If you have to post fiction, please make it credible.

Quackster · 02-12-2017 10:55pm

tabbey wrote: »

s14driftking wrote: »

Had a run in with one of these during the week he completely cut me up on the red cow roundabout I barely missed him by inches with the truck.

Red Cow roundabout has been gone many years.

If you have to post fiction, please make it credible.

:rolleyes:

thelad95 · 03-12-2017 12:08am

Yet another bus broken down today on the Ormonde Road in Kilkenny, I think there’s a certain trend emerging here!

boardsuser1 · 03-12-2017 12:14am

thelad95 wrote: »

Yet another bus broken down today on the Ormonde Road in Kilkenny, I think there’s a certain trend emerging here!

Setra?

liam7831 · 03-12-2017 12:23am

Cork Truck Driver wrote:

Setra?

No Ormond Rd

end of the road · 03-12-2017 12:28am

liam7831 wrote: »

No Ormond Rd

was the bus that broke down one of the setras dublin coach operate?

boardsuser1 · 03-12-2017 12:29am

end of the road wrote: »

was the bus that broke down one of the setras dublin coach operate?

Thank you

Dublin Coach Experience Discussion Thread

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