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The Dublin Coach Experience

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    #1442
    end of the road
    Registered Users Posts: 28,987 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    JeffK88 wrote: »
    Jesus the hostility against them. Did a DC bus run over your pet dog or something? Give them a chance to get started. I've said it before and will continue to say it. A lot of people depend on their services for work, college and socially. They're not perfect but the towns they pass through have desperately missed this bus, I'm talking about the Portlaoise service. 24/7 services who take Sunday as an actual day and don't reduce services.


    sorry but i'm afraid the hostility and criticism is quite right and deserved.
    they have been given plenty of chances.
    the fact people depend on their services is no get out for them from the facts, and the necessary criticism due to those facts.

    ticking a box on a form does not make you of a religion.



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    #1443
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    end of the road wrote: »
    sorry but i'm afraid the hostility and criticism is quite right and deserved.
    they have been given plenty of chances.
    the fact people depend on their services is no get out for them from the facts, and the necessary criticism due to those facts.

    I’m the first to criticise them but unfortunately we do depend on them- that’s more a failure of central government, happy to cast off any public transport obligations to the likes of DC. Leaving places like Portlaoise, Portarlington, Kilkenny etc 6 months with very limited options. I’m very happy to see DC back


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    #1444
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    They’re also fast and relatively cheap too


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    #1445
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,487 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    road_high wrote: »
    I’m the first to criticise them but unfortunately we do depend on them- that’s more a failure of central government, happy to cast off any public transport obligations to the likes of DC. Leaving places like Portlaoise, Portarlington, Kilkenny etc 6 months with very limited options. I’m very happy to see DC back

    Well on other routes, Cork, Galway, Belfast, you have multiple operators, competing and offering an absolutely top quality service, much better then offered by BE.

    I don't know how DC managed to get a monopoly on their routes and the lack of competition shows in the quality of service they offer.


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    #1446
    Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 3,964 ✭✭✭Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime


    As others have said, they deserve the bad reviews

    They are not a new company, the owner john I sullivan isn't new to this, he worked in bus eireann himself and set up and sold aircoach, so he knows what he's at, he just couldn't give a flying ****e.

    If it were a thread about how shockingly bad bus eireann is as a provider then I'd be giving them the same bad feedback and more, because they too are a joke shop.

    There are a few operators out there getting it right but very few and far between


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    #1447
    ExoPolitic
    Registered Users Posts: 353 ✭✭ExoPolitic


    road_high wrote: »
    They’re also fast and relatively cheap too

    They are the fastest from Waterford to Dublin, I always make sure I catch a DC. Most legroom onboard to of all the operators.


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    #1448
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    ExoPolitic wrote: »
    They are the fastest from Waterford to Dublin, I always make sure I catch a DC. Most legroom onboard to of all the operators.

    Is that on the older coaches, I find they're cramming in as many seats as they can, how people fit in them is beyond me....


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    #1449
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    ExoPolitic wrote: »
    They are the fastest from Waterford to Dublin, I always make sure I catch a DC. Most legroom onboard to of all the operators.

    Yea same to Kilkenny which is the same route. No stops after RedCow which they do in circa 1 hour all going well. Also quicker than the train outside of rush hour. This service was doing very well pre lockdown. It’s not expensive either and the airport link is very frequent and quicker than others that use the Port tunnel


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    #1450
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,388 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Saw a few today on the Waterford M9 Route, both looked like the newer Mercedes 6 axles coaches - understand Belfast isn’t running yet so might be using all the”good” ones


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    #1451
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,796 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    punisher5112 wrote: »
    Is that on the older coaches, I find they're cramming in as many seats as they can, how people fit in them is beyond me....

    My experience on an older coach was that my knee room involved it being slapped by the tray table every time the bus braked, because the latch didn't work.


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    #1452
    GT89
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,770 ✭✭✭GT89


    road_high wrote: »
    Saw a few today on the Waterford M9 Route, both looked like the newer Mercedes 6 axles coaches - understand Belfast isn’t running yet so might be using all the”good” ones

    That's understandable and logical to be fair. Most operators would use their newest vehicles when available same reason Dublin Bus would keep most of their single door buses off service at weekends in order to maximise fuel efficency as the newest vehicles are the most fuel efficient.


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    #1453
    Gearoidk
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭Gearoidk


    john boye wrote: »
    Can we open a book on when the first breakdown is spotted? I'll have this month's mortgage on 'before the end of the week'!

    Not a breakdown but the driver had to stop on the M7 yesterday to check his coolant levels


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    #1454
    belfast stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭belfast stephen


    well the first of there new Decker coaches has been seen in the country but on a sad not it looks like they are not bringing back there 400/M1 service between Dublin and Belfast which is a shame


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    #1455
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,744 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    belfast stephen wrote: »
    well the first of there new Decker coaches has been seen in the country but on a sad not it looks like they are not bringing back there 400/M1 service between Dublin and Belfast which is a shame
    There's certainly no market for it right now and with it being a deregulated route, they have the advantage of being able to relaunch it whenever they feel like it.


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    #1456
    Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 3,964 ✭✭✭Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime


    Any news on quick park in Dublin airport ?

    Gone past it a few times recently and it's all blocked off


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    #1457
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,384 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    The wheels on this bus don’t go round and round.

    69-B6275-B-D66-E-43-B8-9-F1-B-F9-F3-C85-E61-E2.jpg


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    #1458
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,695 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    ^^ Not much has changed by the looks of that. Only 6 years old but looks ready to fall apart and I'm guessing engine issues as well looking at the back of it.

    Amazing when you compare 20 year old ex-Dublin Buses that are still out there daily and in far better shape.


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    #1459
    Truckermal
    Registered Users Posts: 6,048 ✭✭✭Truckermal


    Hard to judge but that Tyre looks like a slick..


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    #1460
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,384 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Truckermal wrote: »
    Hard to judge but that Tyre looks like a slick..

    That’s a reflection on my windscreen to be fair. It had plenty thread on it from what I saw.


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    #1461
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Rear steer issue right there .....

    Remember it's 1st year of service it done Dublin tours inner city. Tax break and was it 10 or so purchased.


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    #1462
    Nigel Fairservice
    Registered Users, Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,179 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nigel Fairservice


    I got my first Dublin Coach since the pandemic this evening. The bus was 40 minutes late. The real time tracker on the app doesn't seem to be working. Nice to see things haven't changed too much!



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    #1463
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117803531#Comment_117803531

    I'm surprised they are still allowed to operate at this low level of service quality. Would be better to give the routes to better operators.



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    #1464
    Quackster
    Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 5,744 Mod ✭✭✭✭Quackster


    Have travelled Dublin-Tralee with them maybe half a dozen times since the beginning of May. One service was about twenty minutes late arriving into Tralee due to breakdown near the M50. The following Ennis bus picked us up and was rerouted to Tralee (mustn't have been any Ennis passengers on board). All other times it ran on time.



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    #1465
    Tomrota
    Registered Users Posts: 336 ✭✭Tomrota


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117803589#Comment_117803589

    Are Dublin coach routes sanctioned by NTA?



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    #1466
    end of the road
    Registered Users Posts: 28,987 ✭✭✭✭end of the road



    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117803589#Comment_117803589

    their routes are commercial routes, so aren't subject to the same system as PSO routes operated by the likes of dublin bus or bus eireann or GAI.

    essentially they just apply for the license for the route and as long as there aren't more then i think 2 or 3 other operators they will be granted the license.

    ticking a box on a form does not make you of a religion.



  • Options
    #1467
    end of the road
    Registered Users Posts: 28,987 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117807794#Comment_117807794

    they would be in that the NTA have granted them a license to operate the routes, however the NTA don't regulate how those routes are operated like they would do with PSO routes.

    ticking a box on a form does not make you of a religion.



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    #1468
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    The NTA probably don't want to regulate private routes too much as it may cost them effort and money in return.

    I've recently looked the fares for Naas to Dublin or Ashbourne to Dublin - fares are insane. 5, 6, 7 Euro for a single 1 hour trip. For commuters without a Tax Saver Ticket it's very much and I'm not surprised there are so many people using cars. Pay a fiver and struggle with poor service is a sad sad experience.

    For Naas a train is probably best - around 30mins 4.90 Euro. But only to Heuston, meaning additional costs to get to the actual working place.

    Ashbourne is a bit strange to me - Bus Eireann 45-50mins, I think 5 Euro. How do they manage to do to from Busaras to Ashbourne so quickly during peak hours I don't know. I suppose the actual time is closer to 1 hour.

    Ashbourne Connects or how it's called, takes a tunnel and I think it's 6 or 7 Euro, taking 1 hour.

    Expensive. But coaches are comfy and timetable ris more realistic, just not as frequent service as the Bus Eireann.

    Apologies for OT. Dublin Coach is 1 hour to city from Naas, pricey, unreliable, busses aren't well kept. I think the NTA should regulate these private routes (operators I mean) better. Isn't there a PSO alternative, by Bus Eireann?



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    #1469
    tgdaly
    Registered Users Posts: 933 ✭✭✭tgdaly


    Can anyone confirm where the stop in Dublin Airport is located for the 726 service. Their website indicates it is outside Terminal 1. However, a map I received with my booking shows it as up near the Terminal 1 short term car park.



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    #1470
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,555 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    As per the map when you click on "Dublin Airport" on the 726 timetable:

    https://www.dublincoach.ie/timetables-fares/stop-times-map-info.php?stop=15



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    #1471
    Tomrota
    Registered Users Posts: 336 ✭✭Tomrota


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117808086#Comment_117808086

    Well the problem is, they’re able to charge these extortionate prices as a result of the fares of the PSO routes. Route 126 is over 6€ from Naas to Dublin one way. Change that to the standardised 2,50€ fare and the private companies would follow suit overnight. It really is no wonder the N7 has so much traffic on it with the extortionate fares the NTA, and as a result private operators, are charging. Far cheaper and FAR more comparable to commute using a car.



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