Using town bus services to aid Expressway services

T Corolla

Does anyone think that the town bus services should run alongside the expressway services to reduce journey times on expressway services. Is there any justice in creating a buspark in all major urban centers for town bus services can ferry passengers to the expressway services and ferry passengers off the expressway bus in the towns and allow the expressway bus back onto the motorway to continue on the journey and reduce their journey times and attract a larger volume of passengers

Victor

Do you mean having a small bus interchange at the motorway exit?

corktina

far too sensible, youll be suggesting a park and ride car park and a service area next....:D

Cookie_Monster

This exact question came up a few months ago iirc. search around and I'm sure you'll find it

corktina

An example for you...BusEireann express coach to London (eurolines) doesnt call into Reading (or anywhere else iirc)...it merely leaves the Motorway and pulls in at a bus stop served by the town buses (possibly 2 to 3 miles from town centre) and then carries on back onto the M4. Far more sensible than calling to every village and town en route.Shows they CAN do it doesnt it.

T Corolla

corktina wrote: »

An example for you...BusEireann express coach to London (eurolines) doesnt call into Reading (or anywhere else iirc)...it merely leaves the Motorway and pulls in at a bus stop served by the town buses (possibly 2 to 3 miles from town centre) and then carries on back onto the M4. Far more sensible than calling to every village and town en route.Shows they CAN do it doesnt it.

This is exactly what my point is . In Mullingar it can take the expressway bus up to 20 min in heavy traffic to get throught the town and make its way onto the N4 to continue its journey

KC61

Now would the DoT or NTA approve that I wonder - it would require the licences to be altered and that (as we all know) ain't easy!!!!

JHMEG

Seeing as they can't co-ordinate suburban and intercity trains on the one train line (Maynooth/Sligo), I doubt they'd manage to get buses to co-ordinate.

corktina

T Corolla wrote: »

This is exactly what my point is . In Mullingar it can take the expressway bus up to 20 min in heavy traffic to get throught the town and make its way onto the N4 to continue its journey

that is crazy isnt it....

Run_to_da_hills

The danger here is that if the Expressway gets delayed you could end up being stuck in an exposed shelter on the side of the road instead off a warmer waiting room in a town center.

corktina

well it would need doing properley with a mini-terminal etc...( a portacabin would do it would it not?

BT!

as far as i know the town engineer picks out the bus stops as they have to sign off on it, it depends on their view on public transport, if they favour the car and think a bus is a nuisance, car parking spaces take priorty, bus users are forgotten about, most express coaches are wheelchair friendly, but the bus can't get close enough to the pavement to use the ramp. how many cars would fit into a bus stop, would the supermarket prefer a bus stop or car parking outside the shop? commerce before people

Victor

Bus stops are mostly between the bus operator and the Garda, the council has little input.

BT!

Victor wrote: »

Bus stops are mostly between the bus operator and the Garda, the council has little input.

The council have to construct the recess in the pavement or road, and if it's just a pole, they would still have to paint the road markings, even the bus shelters require planning permission.
commercial companies have to pay the town council to erect anything on the road or pavement, this is why private bus companies just use Bus Éireann bus stops for free.

Transportuser09

T Corolla wrote: »

Does anyone think that the town bus services should run alongside the expressway services to reduce journey times on expressway services. Is there any justice in creating a buspark in all major urban centers for town bus services can ferry passengers to the expressway services and ferry passengers off the expressway bus in the towns and allow the expressway bus back onto the motorway to continue on the journey and reduce their journey times and attract a larger volume of passengers

It is a good idea in theory but would everytown generate enough passengers to cover the cost of putting on a connecting bus? Would people be put off using the bus if they had to change everyday?

antoinolachtnai

Well, people are put off because buses take too long as well.

If you had your act together, you could use a taxi to provide the occasional pickup services as an alternative to depending on local buses. You could contract in taxis or hackneys outside Dublin for a pretty reasonable hourly rate.

unJustMary

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The danger here is that if the Expressway gets delayed you could end up being stuck in an exposed shelter on the side of the road instead off a warmer waiting room in a town center.

Catch BE in Galway city centre and you won't find much warmth, or a waiting room for that matter!

It's a good idea, but given the general lack of information about town services in Ireland, I'd say there could be tourism implications for this one. And the investment to make fringe-location bus-station safe would be quite large, I think.

If someone wants to pilot it, though, I'd suggest Newry as the No 1 candidate location!

Run_to_da_hills

unJustMary wrote: »

Catch BE in Galway city centre and you won't find much warmth, or a waiting room for that matter!

It's a good idea, but given the general lack of information about town services in Ireland, I'd say there could be tourism implications for this one. And the investment to make fringe-location bus-station safe would be quite large, I think.

If someone wants to pilot it, though, I'd suggest Newry as the No 1 candidate location!

There is also the security element, a woman may not fancy being left off on her own at some junction outside of town waiting for a delayed connection.

Cookie_Monster

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

There is also the security element, a young hawt woman may not fancy being left off on her own at some junction outside of town waiting for a delayed connection.

i'll keep her company


(FYP)