Bus Eireann Possible Strike

devnull · 22-09-2017 4:55pm #1

I've been reading in the press talk of a Bus Eireann strike alongside the possible Irish Rail one, however all the media outlets are very short on details other than saying one could happen in October.

What exactly is the issue?

thomasj · 22-09-2017 4:59pm

devnull wrote:

I've been reading in the press talk of a Bus Eireann strike alongside the possible Irish Rail one, however all the media outlets are very short on details other than saying one could happen in October.

devnull wrote:

What exactly is the issue?

Could it be to do with Irish rail drivrrs balloting in favour of going out on strike in support of bus eireann drivers

Could it be roles reverse?

Edit: forget that!

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/the-only-alternative-strike-action-fears-for-rail-and-bus-passengers-unless-tangible-offer-made-36158714.html

GM228 · 22-09-2017 5:46pm

I believe the issue at BE is seperate to the IE threat (I've heard rostering issues with BE drivers and bus allocation is the issue), the media no doubt will probably try to link them though.

Stephen15 · 22-09-2017 5:56pm

I thought that all three CIE companies had pay claims in but only DB got them after last years strike. The media seemed to be portraying that they did anyway.

piplip87 · 22-09-2017 6:15pm

It's to do with days where the drivers are on emergency cover. Some drivers on cover could spend the day at home and would be covering specific routes only. So for example a driver based in Cavan would cover routes departing locally.

There has been a change in this somewhere.

************Disclaimer** * ***********

I heard this last week while waiting on a bus. 3 drivers where talking about new rosters and this seemed to be what they where speaking about. They where nit happy and mentioned complaints where lodged to the Union.

Stephen15 · 22-09-2017 6:56pm

piplip87 wrote: »

I heard this last week while waiting on a bus. 3 drivers where talking about new rosters and this seemed to be what they where speaking about. They where nit happy and mentioned complaints where lodged to the Union.

These issues tend to be highlighted during times of industrial unrest. A lot of negotiating between management and unions are done without media picking up. However due to a lot of industrial unrest as of late these issues are being highlighted.

Jamie2k9 · 23-09-2017 1:36pm

GM228 wrote: »

I believe the issue at BE is seperate to the IE threat (I've heard rostering issues with BE drivers and bus allocation is the issue), the media no doubt will probably try to link them though.

Just like unions will when selecting a day for action.....

pjohnson · 23-09-2017 1:38pm

Damn. That time of year again.

devnull · 23-09-2017 1:38pm

BE staff are talking about striking because they don't like the bus that they have been allocated?

Seriously?

pjohnson · 23-09-2017 1:52pm

devnull wrote: »

BE staff are talking about striking because they don't like the bus that they have been allocated?

Seriously?

TBF the last BE strike was because BE was loosing money. This is probably an improved excuse by their standards.

devnull · 23-09-2017 2:04pm

I wonder if this is related:

Cancellation of services on Routes NX, 103, 109A, 126 & 133
http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=2390&month=Sep

GM228 · 23-09-2017 2:08pm

devnull wrote: »

BE staff are talking about striking because they don't like the bus that they have been allocated?

Seriously?

Bus allocation as in no bus being allocated.

devnull · 23-09-2017 2:09pm

GM228 wrote: »

Bus allocation as in no bus being allocated.

As in there is no bus to drive or that they want to be allocated a specific bus and won't drive the route unless they get a set bus allocated?

GM228 · 23-09-2017 2:11pm

devnull wrote: »

I wonder if this is related:

Cancellation of services on Routes NX, 103, 109A, 126 & 133
http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=2390&month=Sep

Yes that is related.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/09/19/4146041-ryanairstyle-rosters-and-new-timetables-causing-chaos/

But BE blamed it (amongst other things) on 11% of drivers going sick.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/09/22/4146257-bus-chaos-bus-eireann-didnt-factor-in-students-returning-to-college/

Major unrest ahead at BE if what I have heard through the grapevine is true.

GM228 · 23-09-2017 2:13pm

devnull wrote: »

As in there is no bus to drive or that they want to be allocated a specific bus and won't drive the route unless they get a set bus allocated?

No bus to drive. Drivers will usually take any bus that is given to them in fairness.

Apart from buses not being allocated to jobs, apparently the fleet is also suffering an upsurge of "technical issues" - whatever that means and resulting in failed buses.

A big increase in technical issues* with buses, staff going sick and rostering issues - can we read between the lines?

*To be fair I'm told this IS a real issue not just down to drivers being fussy.

Jamie2k9 · 24-09-2017 2:31pm

15 scheduled bus services cancelled this morning due to operational problems.

LXFlyer · 24-09-2017 3:06pm

11% of drivers calling in sick is effectively a "red and white flu" as I guessed.

This really is shambolic.

devnull · 24-09-2017 3:17pm

Former Colleague who takes the bus to get to work from Virginia was told that there is a massive shortage of buses by a driver and that the company was underfunded and to ask the NTA to fund them properly.

devnull · 24-09-2017 3:23pm

LXFlyer wrote: »

11% of drivers calling in sick is effectively a "red and white flu" as I guessed.

This really is shambolic.

Wasn't the absentee levels one of the issues that was brought up in the last Bus Eireann Strike as being an issue which was effecting the company?

Out of interest were there any original proposed changes to the way sick days were proposed in the original proposals that BE put forward that were removed by the LRC proposal?

Stephen15 · 24-09-2017 3:28pm

LXFlyer wrote: »

11% of drivers calling in sick is effectively a "red and white flu" as I guessed.

This really is shambolic.

Why don't BE tell us what it is. An unofficial strike

LXFlyer · 24-09-2017 3:36pm

devnull wrote: »

Wasn't the absentee levels one of the issues that was brought up in the last Bus Eireann Strike as being an issue which was effecting the company?

Out of interest were there any original proposed changes to the way sick days were proposed in the original proposals that BE put forward that were removed by the LRC proposal?

Something has seriously gone wrong within the company over the past seven days.

The level of cancelled services all week has been way beyond what could ever be described as normal.

The lack of any direct communication with customers has been a disgrace.

Ray Hernan needs to get to grips with this and fast.

LXFlyer · 24-09-2017 3:41pm

devnull wrote: »

Former Colleague who takes the bus to get to work from Virginia was told that there is a massive shortage of buses by a driver and that the company was underfunded and to ask the NTA to fund them properly.

I don't tend to put much store into any of these "a driver said" tales - people have reported these kind of things before and they've been half the story at the very best, if even that.

BE is in the process of accepting new deliveries every week currently just like Dublin Bus.

devnull · 24-09-2017 3:50pm

LXFlyer wrote: »

I don't tend to put much store into any of these "a driver said" tales - people have reported these kind of things before and they've been half the story at the very best, if even that.

BE is in the process of accepting new deliveries every week currently just like Dublin Bus.

I personally don't believe it myself that there is a shortage of vehicles, bearing in mind that they have took delivery of a number of PSO vehicles so far this year so it wouldn't make sense anyway why they would be suddenly short, the fact it's happening on the weekend as well when there would be more vehicles to choose from at a depot kind of goes against that argument as well.

Something has seriously gone wrong within the company over the past seven days.

The level of cancelled services all week has been way beyond what could ever be described as normal.

The lack of any direct communication with customers has been a disgrace.

Ray Hernan needs to get to grips with this and fast.

The thing is I reckon it has to be roster related, because the trigger for the issues appears to be the changing of timetables of a group of services, at least that is how it looks from the outside, since the problems only appear to have occured since the services in that region have been reconfigured.

I'm not saying that the rosters are to blame themselves, just that it appears to have led to this red and white flu as you call it. With threats of strikes on the horizon as well as this it seems that we are going to enter another rocky period for the company unless this is dealt with sharpish..

Do we know if the services that are 'disrupted' today are running? It's most odd they use the word disruption rather than saying they are not running if they are not running, or is it just face saving PR as they don't want to use the word cancel.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-09-2017 6:44pm

The issue does come from the new time tables they introduced since last Sunday.

They introduced increased frequency time tables without actual increase in fleet or staff... So there is a timetable that says more buses without actual more buses being got or drivers got

Also including switching rotas around making things a bit more awkward for the drivers.

The majority of shifts now are 12 - 13 hour long days ! Ranging from starting at 3:45 in the morning and finishing after 4pm !

Yes they took some now double decker city buses but they won't be used in the country with the speed restrictions, so yes they are short buses , broadstone is not getting new commuted coaches every week.

From this week I noted drivers are exhausted, they are doing crazy hours under new rotas and shifts and bearly getting any time for other things like family , excercise or in other cases very little sleep. So expect a few days where drivers will call in sick for this but it's not an unofficial strike or unofficial action.

The company will hire in private operators to help cover services

There has been recruitment on going but an awful lot of drivers took redundancy too don't forget , inspectors took redundancy also and as a result of having no inspectors , some drivers are giving that job meaning more drivers off the road !

Drivers agree there was room for tiding up shifts and rotas etc but this has been very extreme and unacceptable for anyone in any job.

There are meetings going on between drivers unions and management from the company to hopefully get a resolution to all of this.

In regards strike , I've heard nothing from our side but the actual issue is around the CIE pension, which involves Dublin bus, Irish rail and bus Eireann, so if one goes out, they all go out , but Irish rail may go out alone for their own pay claims, there's nothing saying we are to go with them.

Hopefully that clears a few things up.

devnull · 24-09-2017 6:51pm

I'm sorry, but the bus argument has to be a red herring, if it was happening only during peak hours Monday to Friday it would be understandable but the fact it happens at the weekend where the fleet is far less intensively used shows there is a lot more to it than this.

Also Bus Eireann have had a number of 171 vehicles delivered this year of which several are operating on the 109 because I've seen them with my own eyes, they are the LC 3xx class.

LXFlyer · 24-09-2017 7:00pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

The issue does come from the new time tables they introduced since last Sunday.

They introduced increased frequency time tables without actual increase in fleet or staff... So there is a timetable that says more buses without actual more buses being got or drivers got

Also including switching rotas around making things a bit more awkward for the drivers.

The majority of shifts now are 12 - 13 hour long days ! Ranging from starting at 3:45 in the morning and finishing after 4pm !

Yes they took some now double decker city buses but they won't be used in the country with the speed restrictions, so yes they are short buses , broadstone is not getting new commuted coaches every week.

From this week I noted drivers are exhausted, they are doing crazy hours under new rotas and shifts and bearly getting any time for other things like family , excercise or in other cases very little sleep. So expect a few days where drivers will call in sick for this but it's not an unofficial strike or unofficial action.

The company will hire in private operators to help cover services

There has been recruitment on going but an awful lot of drivers took redundancy too don't forget , inspectors took redundancy also and as a result of having no inspectors , some drivers are giving that job meaning more drivers off the road !

Drivers agree there was room for tiding up shifts and rotas etc but this has been very extreme and unacceptable for anyone in any job.

There are meetings going on between drivers unions and management from the company to hopefully get a resolution to all of this.

In regards strike , I've heard nothing from our side but the actual issue is around the CIE pension, which involves Dublin bus, Irish rail and bus Eireann, so if one goes out, they all go out , but Irish rail may go out alone for their own pay claims, there's nothing saying we are to go with them.

Hopefully that clears a few things up.

I find it hard to believe that new schedules were implemented without the resources to deliver them (either buses or drivers) - surely if that were the case their introduction would have been deferred - implementing them regardless makes no one look any good.

When you say "our side" can you clarify what you mean by that?

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-09-2017 9:01pm

LXFlyer wrote: »

I find it hard to believe that new schedules were implemented without the resources to deliver them (either buses or drivers) - surely if that were the case their introduction would have been deferred - implementing them regardless makes no one look any good.

When you say "our side" can you clarify what you mean by that?

The NTA had a date they wanted the NX route and 109 changes implemented and bus Eireann had to obey it even without enough resources.

By our side, I am bus Eireann driver.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-09-2017 9:04pm

LXFlyer wrote: »

I find it hard to believe that new schedules were implemented without the resources to deliver them (either buses or drivers) - surely if that were the case their introduction would have been deferred - implementing them regardless makes no one look any good.

When you say "our side" can you clarify what you mean by that?

New buses came in and old buses went out, there are about 7 coaches and 3 city buses decommissioned in broadstone due to age, failures and vehicle replacement, the new ones you mention.

I think broadstone only got about 5 of those new LCs anyway which isint enough.

But again. The NX route is a new route with a 20min frequency, that takes a lot of resources on top of the other 109 batch of routes , so it's not just restructuring one set of routes because they have added a lot of services without resources.

devnull · 24-09-2017 9:12pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

New buses came in and old buses went out, there are about 7 coaches and 3 city buses decommissioned in broadstone due to age, failures and vehicle replacement, the new ones you mention..

But again. The NX route is a new route with a 20min frequency, that takes a lot of resources on top of the other 109 batch of routes , so it's not just restructuring one set of routes because they have added a lot of services without resources.

I'm sorry, but the vehicle argument makes zero sense because today is Sunday and they are still cancelling services and they cancelled a lot of services yesterday as well despite the fact that the fleet utilitisation would be far lower in these times and Bus Eireann would not only have less vehicles needing to run the routes that are effected but also on the other routes ran from the same depot.

I'm not saying that vehicles are not the problem at all, but not for one minute do I buy the suggestion that services were cancelled today and yesterday because there were no serviceable vehicles left in the depot otherwise there would be massive disruption over the Broadstone ran PSO network tommorow and not just these routes if they can't even run a full much reduced vehicle requirement Sunday service, how on earth will they cope with a weekday?

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-09-2017 9:18pm

devnull wrote: »

I'm sorry, but the vehicle argument makes zero sense because today is Sunday and they are still cancelling services and they cancelled a lot of services yesterday as well despite the fact that the fleet utilitisation would be far lower in these times and Bus Eireann would not only have less vehicles needing to run the routes that are effected but also on the other routes ran from the same depot.

I'm not saying that vehicles are not the problem at all, but not for one minute do I buy the suggestion that services were cancelled today and yesterday because there were no serviceable vehicles left in the depot otherwise there would be massive disruption over the Broadstone ran PSO network tommorow and not just these routes if they can't even run a full Sunday service, how on earth will they cope with a weekday?

I worked today, which is also another point I will make

No today, Sunday, there were plenty of vehicles available

Friday evening however was different, I finished my shift and saw many drivers looking for buses in an empty yard. Not a single bus in the yard bar the ones in parts over the pits being worked on.

The new shifts implementation is more the issue on weekends, I was due to be off today but got roped in and did an 11 and half hour shift, which I will not be doing under new pay terms because there will be no incentive.

But the point is they have new times and new routes implemented without a driver rotation to support it

Stephen15 · 24-09-2017 9:23pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

In regards strike , I've heard nothing from our side but the actual issue is around the CIE pension, which involves Dublin bus, Irish rail and bus Eireann, so if one goes out, they all go out , but Irish rail may go out alone for their own pay claims, there's nothing saying we are to go with them.

Hopefully that clears a few things up.

Could it be something to do with this

http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/cie-threatens-to-cut-unions-out-of-pension-process-due-to-misrepresentation-35907956.html

jimmycrackcorm · 24-09-2017 9:51pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote:

The majority of shifts now are 12 - 13 hour long days ! Ranging from starting at 3:45 in the morning and finishing after 4pm !

My Oh is a nurse doing 12- 13 hour shifts. It's not unusual, and they're hardly driving 12 hours straight.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote:

From this week I noted drivers are exhausted, they are doing crazy hours under new rotas and shifts and bearly getting any time for other things like family , excercise or in other cases very little sleep. So expect a few days where drivers will call in sick for this but it's not an unofficial strike or unofficial action.

How many hours are they doing a week because it may sounds like they've a bad a very cushy number until now and are whinging at having to actually work and drive normal hours.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-09-2017 10:08pm

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

My Oh is a nurse doing 12- 13 hour shifts. It's not unusual, and they're hardly driving 12 hours straight.

How many hours are they doing a week because it may sounds like they've a bad a very cushy number until now and are whinging at having to actually work and drive normal hours.

That's why I said any job.

It wasn't great before , it could've been better but to put it this way,

I finished today at 9 on and start again in the morning at 6:15.... I'm a guy that likes my sleep....

In those 9 hours I've to find time to commute to and from work , eat healthy as much as possible , find time for other things like cleaning the home and socializing. As well as getting a good nights sleep because you don't want to be sitting on a vehicle with me driving and drifting into a ditch / car / truck / bus / building because of fatigue.

In your average office job if you work 9am to 6pm you have approx 14 hours between working, I think that is plenty and a lot of drivers are considering (including myself) in going to a job of such for lower pay just to be able to have a life, (this is on top of our days off not always being together too)

For actual hours spent at work being about 12 - 13 you would actually be on the road for about 10 of them. Sometimes more and sometimes less but only slightly both ways.

It's not about having a handy days work at all, but just a decent work life balance which with these new shifts and rotas (yet to come) we will not have at all.

To show you how much ray Hernan knows about our job, he asked one of the Dublin to cork drivers , how many times does he do it a day ? 2 ? 3 ?

Cork is over 4 hours on a bus Eireann bus and if we did anymore on top of that we'd be breaking the law , but this guy is about getting every last bit from us.

devnull · 24-09-2017 10:16pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

How many hours are they doing a week because it may sounds like they've a bad a very cushy number until now and are whinging at having to actually work and drive normal hours.

It wasn't great before , it could've been better but to put it this way, I finished today at 9 on and start again in the morning at 6:15.... I'm a guy that likes my sleep....

In those 9 hours I've to find time to commute to and from work , eat healthy as much as possible , find time for other things like cleaning the home and socializing. As well as getting a good nights sleep because you don't want to be sitting on a vehicle with me driving and drifting into a ditch / car / truck / bus / building because of fatigue.

In your average office job if you work 9am to 6pm you have approx 14 hours between working, I think that is plenty and a lot of drivers are considering (including myself) in going to a job of such for lower pay just to be able to have a life, (this is on top of our days off not always being together too)

For actual hours spent at work being about 12 - 13 you would actually be on the road for about 10 of them. Sometimes more and sometimes less but only slightly both ways.

How many hours a week are you doing and how many days are you working?

Stephen15 · 24-09-2017 10:21pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

To show you how much ray Hernan knows about our job, he asked one of the Dublin to cork drivers , how many times does he do it a day ? 2 ? 3 ?

Cork is over 4 hours on a bus Eireann bus and if we did anymore on top of that we'd be breaking the law , but this guy is about getting every last bit from us.

I thought that BE no longer operate a Dublin to Cork service only GOBE.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 24-09-2017 10:21pm

devnull wrote: »

How many hours a week are you doing?

This is where it's gets sneaky

I could spend (thanks to these new shifts) 13 hours and 30 mins at work but only be paid for about 9 and half of them and those 9 and half hours will be 98% driving, the other 2% loading.

So that by 5 days a week, rarely I do 6 but the last two weeks I did. I won't be doing it anymore. I'm tired from it.

Bearing in mind the gap between shifts for me anywhere has not been anymore than 12 hours, unless it was a day off. But I will need two days off together very soon to fix my drivers hours

devnull · 24-09-2017 10:23pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

I thought that BE no longer operate a Dublin to Cork service only GOBE.

Still do the X8 - and GoBe is a GoBus service.

LXFlyer · 24-09-2017 10:46pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

The NTA had a date they wanted the NX route and 109 changes implemented and bus Eireann had to obey it even without enough resources.

By our side, I am bus Eireann driver.

Thanks for the clarification but that is insane.

It shows zero regard for customers - you don't implement change unless you have everything in place to do it.

If the NTA are insisting on the implementation date knowing full well that BE don't have enough resources, then they too have a case to answer.

devnull · 25-09-2017 9:38am

Disruption has now spread to Expressway
http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=2393&month=Sep

We regret to advise customers in our Eastern Region of the following disruptions to todays services

Route 12
06:00 Dublin to Limerick
11:45 Limerick to Dublin

Route 109A
01:40 Kells to Dublin (next service 02:40)
03:25 Dublin to Kells (next service 04:25)
07:40 Kells to Dublin (next service 08:40)
09:15 DAP to Kells (next service 10:15)

Route NX
17:40 Wilton Terrace to Navan (next service 18:00)
19.20 Navan to Dublin (next service 19:40)

Route 103
17:18 Dublin to Ratoath (next service 17:38)
18:22 Ratoath to Dublin (next service 18:42)
19:58 Dublin to Ratoath(next service 20:28)
21:02 Ratoath to Dublin (next service 21:32)
22:28 Dublin to Ratoath (next service 23:28)
22:58 Dublin to Ratoath (next service 23:28)
23:32 Ratoath to Dublin (next service 00:32)
00:02 Ratoath to Dublin (next service 00:32)

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our customers

Why won't they use the word cancelled, next service in brackets obviously means that the earlier one isn't running you'd think?

Infini · 25-09-2017 9:52am

I would be more concerned at how they're pushing drivers into 12-13 hour shifts with little more than 8 hour rest in-between. That's dangerous to say the least when your driving as it can leave people run down and tired and at risk of an accident.

john boye · 25-09-2017 10:05am

devnull wrote: »

Why won't they use the word cancelled, next service in brackets obviously means that the earlier one isn't running you'd think?

Agreed, "disruptions" is a very ambiguous term. Almost makes it sound like the service is delayed rather than cancelled.

devnull · 25-09-2017 10:49am

Do BE have the same kind of obligations as Dublin Bus when it comes to timetable changes or disruptions and a certain amount of notice? If so they appear to be not complying with them, not just on these routes but on the 401 in Galway that the timetable was changed without sufficent notice.

http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=2391&month=Sep

We wish to advise our customers in Galway that the Winter Timetable will operate on Route 401 - Eyre Square to Salthill from Sunday, 24 September 2017.

Friday, 22nd September, 2017

Not only is there not enough notice, but it's also unclear if the timetable on the timetables section is the Winter timetable or not, since there is no link in the article and no from date on the PDF if you search for the 401.

Whatever about the other issues in the company, the standard of communication with customers is extremely poor.

GM228 · 25-09-2017 12:31pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

The majority of shifts now are 12 - 13 hour long days ! Ranging from starting at 3:45 in the morning and finishing after 4pm !

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

For actual hours spent at work being about 12 - 13 you would actually be on the road for about 10 of them. Sometimes more and sometimes less but only slightly both ways.

I find it very hard to believe that the majority of actual shifts are usually 12-13 hours and actual time on the road is for about 10 hours.

If that was the case we would have heard about it long before now for a number of reasons.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 25-09-2017 1:11pm

GM228 wrote: »

I find it very hard to believe that the majority of actual shifts are usually 12-13 hours and actual time on the road is for about 10 hours.

If that was the case we would have heard about it long before now for a number of reasons.

They only came in on Sunday last, so no not really.

Yes actual time on the road is mostly around 9-10 hours.

The other trick they are using is the tachograph does not count time stopped in traffic at lights etc so does not count as driving time.

But this is what we are putting up with all last week.

Stephen15 · 25-09-2017 4:28pm

devnull wrote: »

Do BE have the same kind of obligations as Dublin Bus when it comes to timetable changes or disruptions and a certain amount of notice? If so they appear to be not complying with them, not just on these routes but on the 401 in Galway that the timetable was changed without sufficent notice.

I'd imagine they do since they're both NTA PSO services.

DB already suffer disruptions to services at short notice just like BE. You only have to look at the RTPI phantom buses to get an idea.

devnull · 25-09-2017 4:31pm

Stephen15 wrote: »

I'd imagine they do since they're both NTA PSO services.

DB already suffer disruptions to services at short notice just like BE. You only have to look at the RTPI phantom buses to get an idea.

The 401 change was not a disruption, they simply posted an article saying it was changing with 2 days notice, don't link to the new timetable and it's not even apparent if the timetable in their timetable section is the new one or the old one.

horseburger · 25-09-2017 4:33pm

GM228 wrote: »

Yes that is related.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/09/19/4146041-ryanairstyle-rosters-and-new-timetables-causing-chaos/

But BE blamed it (amongst other things) on 11% of drivers going sick.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/09/22/4146257-bus-chaos-bus-eireann-didnt-factor-in-students-returning-to-college/

Major unrest ahead at BE if what I have heard through the grapevine is true.

In one of the Meath Chronicle items, there is a quote from someone who was looking to get the 109A, saying that he understands there will be teething problems with the new service on its first day of operation.

The quote is:

“I understand that there might be teething problems with a new bus service on its first day of operation but, the question I need answered is, will the 109A bus run as per its timetable in future or do I need to put alternative arranges for getting to college each day in place?”

The person who said this, did not seem to know that there was no change made to the 109A timetable on 17th September, and that the same 24 hour 109A timetable operates now, that was introduced at the end of July 2016. Going by what he said, he seemed to think there was a change.

The timetables, where routes changed, are the 109X Cavan Dublin service, and services to and from Navan and Dublin, with the introduction of the new NX service.

The route of the 109 between Kells, Navan, Dunshaughlin, Clonee and Blanchardstown Slip Road and Dublin, isn't altered, as far as I know, except that it doesn't go to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, as it had done at certain times of the day from Kells to Dublin, and no longer goes into Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on the way home from Dublin to Kells, but picks up on the Slip Roads instead, to and from Dublin.

http://buseireann.ie/timetables/1504435589-109.pdf

http://buseireann.ie/timetables/1473263565-109A.pdf

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/09/19/4146041-ryanairstyle-rosters-and-new-timetables-causing-chaos/

devnull · 26-09-2017 10:39am

Further disruption today

We regret to advise customers in our Eastern Region of the following disruptions to todays services

Route NX
10:00 Wilton Terrace to Navan.
11:40 Navan to Dublin.

Route 109
08:25 Dunshaughlin to Dublin.
Services from Dunshaughlin to Dublin will operate at 08:05 and 08:55

Route 126
06:45 Dublin to Kildare via Celbridge & Clane.
Service will operate from Celbridge at 07.15

Jamie2k9 · 26-09-2017 2:06pm

https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0926/907636-bus-eireann/

GM228 · 26-09-2017 2:36pm

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

They only came in on Sunday last, so no not really.

Yes actual time on the road is mostly around 9-10 hours.

I assume these 12-13 hour rosters include the 2:45 unpaid breaks* and were agreed to by drivers?

*If your spending an actual time on the road of 9-10 hours then this isn't taking account of 2:45 unpaid breaks is it which means such shifts can't be the majority of shifts.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

The other trick they are using is the tachograph does not count time stopped in traffic at lights etc so does not count as driving time.

It's hardly a trick though is it as that's the way driving time is calculated (when the wheels are in motion - otherwise it's recorded as "other work"), however depending on vehicle age and equipment type stopping in traffic can be irrelevant depending on how long the vehicle is stopped for.

pjohnson · 26-09-2017 2:40pm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0926/907636-bus-eireann/

Who could have thought that strikes would increase losses?

Bus Eireann Possible Strike

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