Response to a complaint from Dublin Bus

ian_m

Hello. I have a quick question regarding a complaint I made to Dublin Bus last week.

I emailed them to complain about a bus that left Ringsend with nothing displayed on the front of the bus to indicate what number it was. The only thing indicating it was active was the number on the back of the bus! Which is no good to anybody. Below is their reply.


Dear Mr XXXX,

I wish to acknowledge and thank you for your email. I have logged this onto our customer feedback database and forwarded it to the Operations Manager in Ringsend Depot. He is responsible for this service.

The Operations Manager in Phibsboro garage will interview the driver involved and will take the appropriate disciplinary action. The driver will be advised of his mistake and warned so that it does not occur again. The driver will also be warned about this practice and advised that it will not be tolerated.

On behalf of Dublin Bus please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused to you and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

Kind Regards

Jean XXXXXX
Public Affairs
Dublin Bus

Why would the Phibsboro Operations manager interview a driver from Ringsend?! Is this just another mistake by Dublin Bus?

AlekSmart

It may simply be a typo error or as also might be the case the Managerial function could be doubled up at that level,ie: one Ops Manager handling Two Depots (:eek:)

As to the original complaint,it`s worth bearing in mind that there can be defective destination displays whereby the side and rear units remain stuck on a particular setting whilst the front displays the true Ticket Machine entered one.

This can lead to such undesireable situations as somebody running for what they think is a number 77,only to discover somewhere around Drumcondra that they are actually on a number 3.

Also an Out-of-Service bus,or blank front display may still be showing a former route number locked on the Side & Rear units...yes it does happen and even if noted by a driver cannot be altered except by replacement of the relevant destination units.

With most of the Destination Displays now being Electronic the actual input from the driver is much reduced as he/she does`nt have to hand wind them,which tended to involve the driver habitually getting out and looking at the front diaplay to see if it had lined up correctly.

Of far more concern to me is the Lack of information being displayed by the electronic systems,with nowhere near enough attention given to facilitating mid-route updating or more via-points on the front destination.

Sometimes,there are items over which the Driver has little or No control and this may well be one of those times ? ?

Micilin Muc

ian_m wrote: »

Why would the Phibsboro Operations manager interview a driver from Ringsend?! Is this just another mistake by Dublin Bus?

The reply you got is word-for-word (apart from two sentences specifically relevant to my complaint) what I received from them a few weeks ago.

I would imagine it is a mistake!

JHMEG

ian_m wrote: »

appropriate disciplinary action. The driver will be advised of his mistake and warned so that it does not occur again. The driver will also be warned about this practice and advised that it will not be tolerated.

The driver is either going to get 50 lashes, or that email is a pisstake.

KC61

From observation there is a time lag between:
1) the driver entering the route number on the ticket machine (or the bus starting up)
and
2) it appearing on the bus display

of about 10 seconds.

Because drivers don't see the front of the bus some may not know or may forget this.

It's possible that is what you saw - in that the bus number appeared on the bus as it passed you.

It's still no excuse for it happening though.

one2one

Post up what you emailed them please.

Did you get the bus fleet no; etc?

foggy_lad

JHMEG wrote: »

The driver is either going to get 50 lashes, or that email is a pisstake.

do the do the flogging in public or in one of the pits in the garage?

Victor

It could be that the driver forget to set it properly, I understand there are two separate numbers to be dialled in. The dials are on the right above the driver's head.

Alternatively I've noticed a lot of electrical and signage problems over the last 6-12 months as I suspect things aren't being maintained properly. I've seen buses with the internal lighting wrong, no front display working (confirmed by driver), no front display illuminating, misaligned headlights, electrical cupboard unlockable, etc. Yesterday was a bus with the bell ringing by itself every two seconds.

A lot of the old dot matrix signs are also getting badly worn.

SickCert

Front/rear and side all done via the ticket machine these days.

I defected one last week for 14 rear, 18 side and 145 on the front, which was correct.

Andrew33

AlekSmart wrote: »

It may simply be a typo error or as also might be the case the Managerial function could be doubled up at that level,ie: one Ops Manager handling Two Depots (:eek:)

Seriously! how likely is that? a semi-state body getting one person to do two jobs? more like 2 managers per depot:rolleyes:

KC61

Andrew33 wrote: »

[Seriously! how likely is that? a semi-state body getting one person to do two jobs? more like 2 managers per depot:rolleyes:

A tad harsh I would say.

As it happens there is no longer a district manager for each depot, but in fact three managers with responsibilities as follows:

1) Donnybrook 1 & 2
2) Ringsend/Conygham Road/Phibsboro
3) Clontarf/Summerhill/Harristown

Andrew33

KC61 wrote: »

A tad harsh I would say.

As it happens there is no longer a district manager for each depot, but in fact three managers with responsibilities as follows:

1) Donnybrook 1 & 2
2) Ringsend/Conygham Road/Phibsboro
3) Clontarf/Summerhill/Harristown

KC? was that the vehicle code used for the Bombardiers or were they KD's?

KC61

Andrew33 wrote: »

KC? was that the vehicle code used for the Bombardiers or were they KD's?

KC was the designator for GAC (the successor to Bombardier) built city single decks in Shannon!

The codes were:
KC = City Single Deck
KD = Bombardier Double Deck
KE = Express Coach
KR = Rural Single Deck

The KC later became KCS when they were transferred to schools. KR similarly became KS.

KC61 was my regular mode of transport for many years to/from work!

Bazzer2

Back to the plot...

It's possible the bus in question was a later RV type with an electronic destination. It's quite a common occurrence for the front display units on the buses to blank out for no reason, leaving just the numbers showing on the side and rear only, without the driver even realising.

It is also impossible to independently control the front and side/rear displays on buses from year 2000 onwards.

Why, then, did Dublin Bus issue the standard "it was the driver's fault" reply, when it is not physically possible for the driver to do something like this, even if s/he wanted to?

lord lucan

Bazzer2 wrote: »

Why, then did Dublin Bus issue the standard "it was the driver's fault" reply, when it is not physically possible for the driver to do something like this, even if s/he wanted to?

I'd imagine it's to make it sound like they take these things seriously and something will be done about it. Just a bit of PR spin to keep the customer happy.