BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

Hmmm. Im not sure about that. Its a very long route in terms of KMs and it goes through a lot of dense populated areas and employment centres.

Time will tell, but I cam imagine the frequency not being sufficient from the get go.

Not to mention the L25 being a much shorter route with a lower PVR than what the S8 would require.

Re: the end, good to know. Personally I hate relying on my phone for things so using my phone as a leap card would be my worst nightmare really, but everyone’s different. Different strokes etc

Might be of curiousity to some.

Go-Ahead's arrangements from next Sunday will be as follows:

• W2, W4, W61, W62 share their drivers but buses will keep to one road. Handovers in The Square or Hazelhatch station for the most part, actual breaks in the garage using staff cars;
• S6 and S8 share their drivers but buses will keep to one road. Handovers largely in The Square, but some in Citywest, again actual breaks in the garage using staff cars;
• S4 will be a standalone operationally route with handovers on the Long Mile Road (stops 2105 & 2181);
• predictably enough from the timetable, the L55 will be a single bus with two drivers covering each other's breaks;
• given the cancellation of the 17 and 75 (amongst other routes), the previously associated 114 and 161 have been moved to the Dun Laoghaire group of duties to join the 45A, 59 and 63. Mind you, driver swaps for the 114 will be in Ticknock now;
• the cancellation of the 76/A has forced the 236/A to join the other Blanch locals (104+220+238+270+L51+L52) operationally. Also, 220 is probably the first route in Dublin to have two en-route handover points (145 doesn't count workings handing over in Bray and in Donnybrook are completely separate), as there are now breaks and duty starts/finishes on the 220 in Finglas, with Blanchardstown SC handovers still in place, although sans the break room in Carlton Hotel;
• remaining schedules are as before: Airport 33A+33B+102, the N6 on its own, and the Bray 184+185+45A+111 duties.

Go-Ahead has also been forced to revisit its duty numbering—before now, they used groups of 300s for each day type (Mon-Fri 000-299, Sat 300-599, Sun 600-899), but with the increase in service levels this wasn't enough, and now they are 1000s, 2000s, and 3000s resp, with the hundreds digits indicating the group of routes. This apparently has been the case for a good few months now, but this revision is the first time I could see the entire scheme for what it is.

It's somewhat interesting to see that there is probably more new network than old network work in Go-Ahead now, at least in terms of mileage as there are still more old routes, but a lot of them are less frequent than the BC work there.

I'm honestly surprised it wasn't culled with the introduction of Phase 3 (N4/N6). Suspect it's going to remain hanging around until the B-spine and Blanch locals in what is probably going to be 2029 at this rate.

The 220 has been known to do well at times of the day between blanch sc and hartstown , particularly when there's been gaps between 39/as. I've been on it at times where the bus has been packed, albeit as a single decker.

Hypothetically can you just get on a Dublin bus and stay on it all day?

Or could you get on a 24hour Night Bus and just ride around all night?

Should probably just become a driver if that's what you want to do

At a terminus driver would look the screens/mirrors if there's any person left. If I'm not wrong, there's a recommendation to not leave the cabin if there's a person who hasn't left a bus and report it to the controllers. Not sure how often drivers check a bus for trash etc: at each terminus or not. However, I did notice that Dublin city buses are significantly cleaner than they used to be just a few years ago in 2019 and after the lockdowns. Not sure if drivers check buses mire often or more cleaners got hired.

Do they pay their fare? Do they wear clothes which realistically leave a dirt on seats? Do they look intoxicated?

Another interesting thing is that they've apparently got a lot of duties - across all rosters - that involve drivers bringing cars, rather than buses, to and from Ballymount. Presumably, this is to avoid the constant issue they have with buses getting delayed on the M50 in the afternoons, which results in an empty yard and a giant queue of drivers waiting for buses.

What an ignorant comment. Of course it matters, that's why I ask. Drivers shouldn't allow anyone with dirty clothes, the one who doesn't pay or is dirturbingly intoxicated on a bus in the first place.

Getting the 18 to work for the final time today, before it switches to the S2 on Sunday.

Stop 849 on Appian Way now has the new timetable, and while the 11 still uses the DB style timetable, it is showing its route diagram! Since Go-Ahead initially started operating and the new style timetables were introduced, DB haven't really gotten route diagrams - the only routes to do so were mainly the bus connects routes operated by DB.

I see John Lahart is after posting a petition to save the 75 and 175. I mean it wasn't like there was public consultation that went on for over 3 years no doubt.

Yes, there are apparently around 20 staff car diagrams planned during the week. Certainly a far safer solution than the old dragging of the bus in (I still have the last Harristown version of the 17A in my mind's eye: it only ever had 12 buses in revenue service at a time but needed 15 altogether because of the breaks in the garage).

It appears that for any breaks taking place in the garage, GAI are choosing the closest location to it. Keep in mind that the S8 is at best f-30, so to produce an efficient enough duty cut it would have had to pair up with something more frequent anyway—might as well boost the S6 bill.

Dundrum canteen does seem to have no more use from next week though, you're right.

I'd also wager that there have been enough complaints about the 75 mixing with the DL locals and the resultant knock-on delays, be it the bus or drivers coming back from breaks, that they just took the opportunity to get rid of the problem altogether.

As for the 114 and the DART, I don't think GAI want to rely on anything external for scheduling. It appears they want everything to be dealt with in-house.

That's sad that our society is ok with this. We should provide from a budget to accommodate rather than try to be too good to one taking away a comfort from the others. I personally don't want to be on a bus with a smelly dirty intoxicated person. By accommodating them we hide an actual problem.

Same here where both the 75 and 175 pass close by. No leaflet with 4 days to go.

Is there a realistic date for completion?

I know it'll probably always be tweaked and adjusted particularly with College Green Plaza and shortage of drivers and Dart+ and Metro etc.

But what's a realistic date for all spines and orbitals being in place?

2 years time maybe. I assume they'll want it done before election but might not be possible.

I think the general philosophy is solid.

It was way overdue for an overhaul.

As long as it's an improvement I'm happy and keeps moving in the right direction.

I think it will really need bus corridors to be a real success.

I mean I can't wait for the F Spine but it's not like it's much of an improved route for me cos it's still going to be slow at Harts Corner and crawl down the Whitworth road. For other routes it will help though.

Oddly, the change I'm waiting for is an improvement to the 40e route (or whatever the new route is), because it's a proper BusConnects "switch to another mode of transport to improve your journey times", which it absolutely can be.