Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

The Dublin Coach Experience

Options
1…1011131516…61

Comments

  • Options
    #362
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    If its breakdowns its going to be more then 1.

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


  • Options
    #363
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    mikemac2 wrote: »
    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 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.


  • Options
    #364
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    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....


  • Options
    #365
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Maybe that was his preferred beverage....

    Very true.

    Was it Castrol GTX or Mobil 1 :pac:


  • Options
    #366
    mikemac2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,926 ✭✭✭mikemac2


    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 :D


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #367
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    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 :D

    Is it a 2004 Setra?


  • Options
    #368
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    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.


  • Options
    #369
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    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.


  • Options
    #370
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    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.


  • Options
    #371
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,825 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    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.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #372
    eejoynt
    Registered Users Posts: 264 ✭✭eejoynt


    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?


  • Options
    #373
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    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....


  • Options
    #374
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    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.


  • Options
    #375
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    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.


  • Options
    #376
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    They've just had a seventh Vanhool Decker delivered.


  • Options
    #377
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    devnull wrote: »
    They've just had a seventh Vanhool Decker delivered.

    Ex Stagecoach?


  • Options
    #378
    questionmark?
    Registered Users Posts: 3,071 ✭✭✭questionmark?


    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?


  • Options
    #379
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    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?


  • Options
    #380
    myshirt
    Registered Users Posts: 5,245 ✭✭✭myshirt


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


  • Options
    #381
    questionmark?
    Registered Users Posts: 3,071 ✭✭✭questionmark?


    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.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #382
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    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.


  • Options
    #383
    soundman45
    Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭soundman45


    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.


  • Options
    #384
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    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.


  • Options
    #385
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    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.


  • Options
    #386
    ...__...
    Registered Users Posts: 507 ✭✭✭...__...


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


  • Options
    #387
    Copper_pipe
    Registered Users Posts: 11,553 ✭✭✭✭Copper_pipe


    Prices gone up from Limerick to Dublin.

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


  • Options
    #388
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


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


  • Options
    #389
    Matthew Gleeson
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭Matthew Gleeson


    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 :)


  • Options
    #390
    boardsuser1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭boardsuser1


    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:


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #391
    john boye
    Registered Users Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭john boye


    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.


Advertisement