Metro Bus Service

Endurance Man

Possibly the worst bus service iv ever encountered? Late buses, phantom buses, buses that change route on the fly, have had it all and iv only lived in the city for a month.
Any other thoughts on this? Does complaining do anything or would i be wasting my breath1? Just so tired of being late for work. Think a bicycle might be a better option.

MDTyKe

I used it for the first time last week - horrible experience.

I was waiting at some booth thing since I didn't know you could get the ticket at the bus, only to be told it was closed. All the while it was windy and rainy, and you're forced to stand outside in a petty shelter for the bus (4a). So, as I waited on the stop titled 4A, I noticed that about 50m down the road, at a completely differnet stop, there was my bus!

Got down, and he was good enough to open the door - but then some asshat conductor ran over to tell him to stop opening the doors for people.

Got on, and the driver ignored me when I asked for help as to where to get off (I needed to get to Stormont Hotel) - ignorant PoS. I'll never use it again.

I dont mean to sound snobby, but Im really off buses altogether, they're just like scum.. I'd prefer a train any day. (Geting my drivers license soon so out of the way with them all!)

The crux is, Northern Ireland is an incredibly backward minded country - they wont invest in a decent public transport network around Belfast. Some people are trying to make something of the city, its a shame it isn't catching on... it has potential. It needs a LUAS, or an excellent bus network; it has neither. Metro is a disaster, and its actual name makes you think its something greater, so you end up being dissapointed.


Matt

Jigsaw

Oh yeah, avoid the buses. Carriages for the Proletariat, driven by the Proletariat.

KevinMc

I have used the Metro a few times. Used to use the number 19 regularly to get to the ice bowl and the only major problem was 10-15 minute delays during the afternoon. But was generally OK. The Day tickets, I thought offered good value for money.

you want to try the trains, now thats a joke

Citizen_Erased

Day tickets are good value , thats a given for me.

But yes , wholey undependable bus service , dont bother with a time table , you'll only fustrate yourself. I mostly use the number 8b service for the Malone Road and manys the time bus will not come or be randomly marked "not in service" and float by , if as previously stated they show up at all that is. Not exactly a fun experience when you are trying to get to the europa bus station for your once a day bus service home to Donegal :mad:

Berns

Also take some of the 8 buses to get up to work. Sometimes they never appear & even got told once that the bus didn't go where it goes :rolleyes: & I needed to get one for Lisburn road

As for the trains ...... Price rise there at the start of the month on my weekly ticket, and looks like is another one coming at the start of the month. And when headin home, might get a lift to Europa and just be there for the 520ish express..... usually, until now..... they close the barriers for like 10 minutes while the train waits out there and then just before it pulls out they open the barriers saying Final call for the all stopper. Treatin the people like dog's just so they can make a run for the express, which they coulda got if barriers weren't closed, and then run for all stopper as it was Last (First) call for the alternative all stopper. Can ya tell I've gone off them a bit now :P

KevinMc

Ha you seen the new Delay-Repay compensation scheme...what a farse. They took the 10% off the monthly and weekly tickets and you only get 10 % the following week if the trains fall below a certain percent.

All they say you get compensation when the train is 29 minutes or more late and it used to be 20 minutes. Havn't used the local services for a while as i get the Enterprise but used to use the Larne line everyday to get to uni, that service is a joke. There should be discounts on that as it still has the old train.

I also was raging when I did get a NIR local service to Portadown after a Giants match in Belfast and there was nearly a full carriage of people drink openly with carryouts on the tables etc. dispite the new policies. I don't blame the conductor, I wouldn't say anything to nearly 20 youths drinking but n a fri and sat night there should be security on the train.

Red Soup

Every time I've used the Metro it's been grand. Cheap, on time, clean...

But then again I only use it to get in and out of town and the airports. I don't depend on it.

darkman2

Why is the bus service in Belfast called the 'metro'?

RadioCity

I think its just a nice name they thought of at the time for the Belfast Metropolitan area.

I understand passengers' frustration as an Ulsterbus driver. I wouldn't want to rely on it.

For those that don't know, the 9 (Lisburn Rd) buses work cross city to the Shankill as 11A/B/C etc. When they got it tight the canny controllers on the streets kept turning the inbound Lisburn Rd buses at City Hall and Working back the Lisburn Road and stuff anyone going up the Shankill Road.

A friend of mine complained and was told more or less he was imagining it as the Inspectors said everything was where it should be.

He did his own survey and highlighted the so called 5/10 minute service was actually 35-45 minute service. I believe now the services no longer operate cross city in the evening peak but terminate at City Hall and work back the road they came.

Maybe the cross city working is the underlying problem? Quite a few routes are interworked with another route and not so that you would notice it.

The 9 is interworked with the 11, the 6 is interworked with the 12. The 61 (I think) is interworked with some of the 80/81 etc services.

MREGAN

I bought a monthly ticket. Experianced similar problems no busses late busses. Even on occations early busses as I was turning onto the road the stop was on seen it driving off 4-5mins early.

Buying a motorbike soon.