Swords Express extension

mickoneill30

They've updated their timetable from Monday.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/F6pMTehMiNHEG8Z-2A5VBhidL4WbFh1BMv4cM5eogRQZXfX21qufLkU4vDAJWg2UWvrZk5YbF41ecDZ_oIyfMlBA1Q=s512

Couple of buses now start at Pavillions and the 8AM doesn't go through Forrest Road. And one that starts at Highfields.

Seems pretty decent.

It's almost if they pay attention to customers

PWEI

Pretty decent alright but surely it would make more sense for the buses starting at the Pavillions to go down the Forrest Road. And some of the buses starting from the Manor not to go down the Forrest Road as they are full by the time they leave the Pavillions. Are ye with me?

mickoneill30

PWEI wrote: »

Pretty decent alright but surely it would make more sense for the buses starting at the Pavillions to go down the Forrest Road. And some of the buses starting from the Manor not to go down the Forrest Road as they are full by the time they leave the Pavillions. Are ye with me?

I would guess (and am probably totally wrong) that if a bus was full by Pavillions AND nobody had paid the Swords fare (as in wanting to get off in Swords) the drivers could have discretion and choose the shorter route either skipping Pavillions and / or Forrest Road.
That way if there was space on the bus the driver would have to keep on servicing stops until it was full.

If that's not the plan then hint hint Antoin.

Although knowing some of the decisions of the Department of Transport before they probably don't like buses going off route and taking shortcuts to benefit passengers.

The 8AM from Swords Manor doesn't go up Forrest Road. Maybe he's measured it and the 8AM is the only one guaranteed to have enough passengers.

All in all though its great to have a service that has the flexibility to adapt to try and improve the customers service.

PWEI

First time trying out the new service today. I got the 18:45 from town which according to the timetable was supposed to be going to the Manor but it didn't. It stopped at the Pavilions & I had to walk to Applewood. Very disappointing to be honest. I travel to town by motorbike normally but have been considering switching to the SE since the service was extended. But unfortunately it wont be a reliable enough service for me if they're going to be changing their destination like this.

antoinolachtnai

I'd say it was the 18:30 running late, but I will check on this. There are going to be new digital destination boards shortly to make this all clearer.

PWEI

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I'd say it was the 18:30 running late, but I will check on this. There are going to be new digital destination boards shortly to make this all clearer.

Hi antoinolachtnai,thanks for the reply. I'd appreciate if you could shed some light on this. If it was the 18:30 running late how come the next bus that went also only went as far as the pavilions. A colleague of mine was on the bus with me & he had asked the bus parked behind ours & the driver advised him he was also only going as far as the pavilions.

PWEI

I've been getting the SE all week & I've been pleased with the service. I've been getting the 07:00 bus to the city centre & the 15:45 back to Swords. The 15:45 to Swords has been getting to Applewood by 16:35 which is pretty good. The 07:00 to town has been taking slightly longer but that's because it seems to get delayed 5 to 8 mins at traffic lights at the Samuel Beckett bridge.


antoinolachtna, I left a pair of shoes on the 07:00 this morning, they were at the back of the bus & I was last to get off. Do you know how I could get these back? Thanks.

PaulD77

Great service. Got it for the first time on Tuesday. Left work in Airside business park at 4.30. Waited 10 mins for the bus and was still standing in O'Reillys of Tara Street having a beer by 5. Even managed to get 10 minute nap in!

P_Daly

Can anybody explain to me why a bus departing at 10:45 would take ten minutes longer than a bus travelling in the morning at peak times? When I'm on morning shifts I get the 07:15 from Swords Manor which drops me in at Jurys Inn Custom House at 07:50 which gives me loads of time to make it in to work for 08:00. The last two days I've been getting the 10:45 from the Manor to get in to work for an 11:30 shift. Both days it arrived at 11:30 at Jurys Inn.
Today we didn't leave Hollywell until 11:15, that's a half an hour to get out of Swords?
First off it didn't arrive at Applewood until 10:48, eight minutes after departure.
Whereas the 07:15 always arrives four minutes after departure.? Today for no apparent reason after picking somebody up at Pavilions the driver just stopped there for a further three minutes. I might as well have been on the 41C today, it would probably have got me town faster.
Also nobody got on the bus at the Forest Road today or at either boroimhe stops. Would make more sense for the bus to go up the main street and have a stop for boroimhe passengers at the 2nd entry to Airside.

LXFlyer

Well it does not take rocket science to figure out that Swords Village would have far more traffic at 11:00 than at 07:00 given all of the business are open at that stage, with deliveries taking place, and people travelling to/from the shopping centres. Hence it would take longer to get out onto the M1.

P_Daly

lxflyer wrote: »

Well it does not take rocket science to figure out that Swords Village would have far more traffic at 11:00 than at 07:00 given all of the business are open at that stage, with deliveries taking place, and people travelling to/from the shopping centres. Hence it would take longer to get out onto the M1.

There was fcek all traffic in Swords at the time. Doesn't take a "rocket scientist" to figure out it wasn't rush hour. When the bus stopped at the Pavilions for 3 to 4 min for no apparent reason there was no cars ahead of it.
It takes 3 to 4 minutes to drive from Swords Manor to Applewood yet the driver arrived 8 minutes after departure. I live in that neighbourhood and there is no traffic there at that time of the day. At the time of the day the kids are already in school. I just got the impression the bus driver was taking his time & wasn't bothered about
making good time. At one stage he was at a traffic light that went orange & he could have kept going but stopped. 30 minutes to get out of Swords is not an express Service & I for one won't be using the service again at that time of the day.
I was back in my car today & it took me 25 minutes to get to town.

Beasty

P_Daly wrote: »

At one stage he was at a traffic light that went orange & he could have kept going but stopped.

You mean ..... he actually obeyed the law, and stopped as it was (presumably) safe to do so?

I guess you will manage to drive into town quicker if you're an "amber gambler" (unless, of course, you come across someone else who is prepared to take similar risks)

P_Daly

Beasty wrote: »

You mean ..... he actually obeyed the law, and stopped as it was (presumably) safe to do so?

I guess you will manage to drive into town quicker if you're an "amber gambler" (unless, of course, you come across someone else who is prepared to take similar risks)

Well considering the amount of people in this country who break Red Lights (& I'm not one of them), I always find its safer to keep going when the light goes orange. As a lot of people behind tend to accelerate to break the red light. But thanks very much for your insightful input on the topic.