Bus Eireann routes 109/109A Changes

Should be perfectly fine, don't think there's any major event in the city that day.

Very advisable to give a clear and timely hand signal as bus approaches - Dublin Bus buses at the stop sometimes can partially block drivers' vision.

Traffic is getting worse and worse each evening.

Yep, willing to assist where possible.

Agreed the journey is getting worse every evening. Was on one the 6.30 last week, that took a full hour and 25 into Navan. (Again with not a sinner getting on between Bus Aras and Blanch)That is not progress. I'm no Bob the builder but by the looks of the new Matter the bus lane on the NCR ain't going to freed up anytime soon.

Can somebody in the know clarify the position with the port Tunnel, are BE allowed to use it or are they subject to some kind of restriction??

It's unbelievable to think that the best service they had would be pulled like that. I heard there was a lot of very irate people on that 5.30 Bus Last Friday, sitting in traffic Cabra when they were use to been as far as the toll on the M3 at that stage. This thing of Bus Eireann changing things to suit one or two does happen and has to stop. The 6.30 I referred to last Tuesday, left the Bus Aras at 6.31, did the usual lap around Store Street and IFSC then scooted back into the yard, and let two people on. My only explanation is that a two people just missed it and the driver was called to come back in and everybody else ( i.e the other 30 plus people on the bus) had 15 minutes added to their journey as a result. I could be wrong but there didn’t appear to be any other reason for entering the yard for a second time.

Flinchwhip wrote: »

Have emailed bus eireann asking why the 5.30 is no longer using the port tunnel. I also contacted the nta to see if any bus was licensed to use port tunnel from Dublin to navan, although they couldn't tell me for sure they didn't think so. It's a ridiculous situation that the port tunnel is not being used for this service, I for one will be lobbying to get this bus back through the port tunnel.

Absolutely +100% here Finchwhip.

This is most certainly an issue which the NTA can crack their Bullwhip acros Bus Eireann's buttocks on !

It's along time since I operated a 109 but with the read and associated infrastructure developments now in place I would suggest that up to 30% of the Peak 109 departures could utilize the Port Tunnel routing.

This nonsense of spending Billions of € on such projects only to then embark on enforcement proceedings to prevent Public Transport useage is simply nonsense and tantamount to treachery against the State's best interests.

Sadly,Dublin Bus felt the crack of a similar whip over the 41X and 142 routes when the DPT initially opened,a situation which has never been fully addressed.

If a well presented case can be made (and thats a no-brainer IMO) then the NTA needs to issue an INSTRUCTION to whomsoever is in charge of Luddism in BE to get those Buses/Coaches operating through that tunnel...IMMEDIATELY.

This is a telephone call issue...my people will call your people...the only obstruction to the call is the reality that the person within the NTA dealing with Flinchwhip's observation may well possibly never have travelled in anger on a the services they purport to now control :eek:

:mad:
I could not believe the 1730 express bus turned left instead of right going out of Bus Aras tonight. I work Mon-Wed so didnt know about the palava at the end of last week. 1hr 35mins to get to Navan boo hoo.

On Monday I went for the 1630
1630 Cavan wasnt going via navan
1630 Kells via Navan via Johnstown; I needed to get off at the Ardboyne.

1645 to Kells. Got to Navan 1hr 45mins:mad:

What section of NTA do we contact/email? WHo needs the licence - the private contractor or BE?

As OP said having all this new infrastructure and not using it

assumedly then you need a seperate "licence" per service? is that the way it works, i.e Dublin Bus can use it in general but ran into problem with its 41x as the SwordsExpress litigated the issue on the premise that they were using it first and would need to compensated if Dublin Bus started a similar service?

Saw a 100x the other day (Drogheda/ Dundalk )bus and it had "via the port tunnell" plastered along the side of it in advertisement mode. The Bus Eireann Timetable for the 100X (dated Dec 2011) also states in Bold that
"All services operate via Dublin Port Tunnel"

So assumedly the fact that 100x can use it doesnt automatically mean that 109 can, a seperare permission has to be sought and assumedly BE would have to prove that there is no competition issue, i,e they are not stepping on any private operator toes in using that route?

Have I got the general gist of it? Do Sillian or any other private operator on the route avail of the Port Tunnel

Apologies for the long winded nature of the above, just want to have my ducks in a row before contacting the NTA.

cheers

After my 2 hour 15 minute journey from Virginia to O'Connell St yesterday my days of taking the 109 to Dublin are going to be seriously reduced. Im just going to drive in future whenever I have to head down to Dublin on a weekday morning.

At least coming home yesterday evening was a lot better but that was because I got the 5pm 30 Bus. It got me to Virginia for 6.30.

I was then going to Ballyjamesduff so decided to wait for the 187 service from Kells that was due in to Ballyjamesduff for 6.35. It eventually came at 6.55.

Good Work flinchwhip.
hence the reply from NTA to me during week:
The Authority has not received any proposal from Bus Eireann to operate the 1730 via the port tunnel.

I got an email confirmation of this today also. Woohoo, a great decision.

Can anyone confirm this?[/Quote]

BE emailed today to confirm that the 17.30 Dublin/Navan service will operate via the port tunnel as and from Friday the 3rd of Feb. So yes it's confirmed.

Flinchwhip wrote: »

Received from Damien English TD:

The position of Bus Eireann is as follows.

'In relation to the 109, we will be applying by the end of this week to the NTA for a licence to operate a peak morning departure from Navan via the Port Tunnel, and a peak evening departure from Busaras to Navan via the Port Tunnel. If and when we have the licence, we put these services in as soon as possible.'

The timeline on the NTA's own website for decision on applications for a licence are for commercial operators & can take up to eight weeks. In relation to the Public Service Obligation Routes like Navan, once Bus Éireann make a decision to make an application to amend a route, the NTA expect to be able to make a decision on this swiftly, within days rather than weeks I have been told.

Hopefully there will be closure on this next week or early the week after. Can you keep me informed from your end?

Regards

Damien

A good weeks work,but one which needs to be followed up with a second wave....I'm of the opinion that up to 25% of the current departures could/should be making use of this expensively provided State Asset,the Port Access Tunnel.

For crying out loud,what was it designed and constructed to achieve.....?

My next concern would be what skulduggery went on to suddenly remove the dei-facto 1730 via DPT in the first place,who objected ? and on what grounds ?

Given the NTA's new found powers and independence,they should have,in the interests of the passengers,told the objector to take a hike.

There is a market for Limited Stop-Express services out there,and it's a lucrative one too !

WTF is this sh1t with the 109 doing ashbourne, ratoath, clonee etc and that damn blanchardstown shopping center 20 min route. NO ONE IS GETTING ON OR OFF THERE!!!!!!!!!!! Can we have our fcukin 109 normal 1 hour route back please!!! FCUK!! It's ridiculous at this stage!!

Mal

on the plus side, the 6.30 has used the port tunnel for the last two nights, i dont think its official (not according to the time table anyway), but it is making a serious difference.

Like Mal's predictament above, to date this bus has gone out via Cabra to pick up nobody en route and some evenings was taking an hour and 20 to get into the centre of Navan.

Last two evenings it has done Bus Aras to last stop in Navan in 50 minutes flat

Yesterday it left at 6.30 on the dot and we were at the M3 toll in 29 minutes, the fatest I've ever witnessed

I intend to email BE to express my delight with the PT route for the 6.30, and seeing if its going to become a permanent feature and would suggest anybody else using it does likewise!!

Commuter109 wrote: »

on the plus side, the 6.30 has used the port tunnel for the last two nights, i dont think its official (not according to the time table anyway), but it is making a serious difference.

Like Mal's predictament above, to date this bus has gone out via Cabra to pick up nobody en route and some evenings was taking an hour and 20 to get into the centre of Navan.

Last two evenings it has done Bus Aras to last stop in Navan in 50 minutes flat

Yesterday it left at 6.30 on the dot and we were at the M3 toll in 29 minutes, the fatest I've ever witnessed

I intend to email BE to express my delight with the PT route for the 6.30, and seeing if its going to become a permanent feature and would suggest anybody else using it does likewise!!

Without doubt Commuter109,an excellent and proactive response.

It is abundantly clear that sections of BE management remain so firmly entrenched in the past that they cannot recognize a Pot of Gold when they stumble across it.

Last two evenings it has done Bus Aras to last stop in Navan in 50 minutes flat

This is seriously marketable journey time,which if allied to a good quality vehicle and generally comfortable journey is more than capable of attracting a Car Driver to at least try the coach a couple of times weekly.

Currently,Irish Public Transport has few such opportunities and when they arise they need to be fully grasped and sweated for all they are worth....failure to do so,is in my opinion either down to negligence or sabotage...take your pick ?

I would also suggest Commuter 109,that you cc your communications to the NTA and the relevant politicians such as Damien English....this is one case where incompetent or plain ol disinterested management cannot be allowed to sabotage an opportunity which is important to both Staff and Passengers alike.