Matthews Coach Question.

neacy69

tenchi-fan wrote: »

I used to get the 7.30 bus until last November and it was terrible. The earlier buses were fine. Summer time was always ok, but as the days get shorter and weather gets worse the commute gets worse.

It was around this time last year when the road widening started at the airport and I agree with you then it was pretty awful...but you cant blame matthews for that.

If the earlier posts about more roadworks are true then commuters could be in for another horrible time

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

neacy69 wrote: »

the road widening started at the airport and I agree with you then it was pretty awful...but you can blame matthews for that.

Is there a typo here? Surely it should be can't blame!

**Timbuk2**

Gracelynn Billions Can wrote: »

Matthews' stick to the speed limit for buses!!!

The speed limit for coaches is 100km/h on the motorway and 80km/h on non-motorway roads (unless a lower speed limit applies), if I remember correctly, which they do stick to. If there is no problems with traffic then 1 hour 10 minutes is quite easily acheivable by sticking to the limit. Matthews seem to get through the Drumcondra bottleneck fairly quickly - driving to Dublin via Drumcondra is nearly always a nightmare, but the bus lanes make it much quicker on the bus!

I saw the UCD service arrive this morning at around 8.30am in UCD - I couldn't see how many people were on it, does anyone know if it was busy?
I think Matthews may have made a mistake in announcing the new route so late, people might have chosen to commute to UCD each day if they knew there was a bus directly there - a lot of people will now have made arrangements for accommodation.

mmm_cheesey

Matthews just started a new UCD service that might be useful.

nc6000

Can anyone please tell me how long it takes the 09.00 bus from Grange Rath to get into Parnell Street? I'm wondering if it gets delayed much at the couple of schools it has to pass on the way to the M1.

Would it usually make it into town for 10.00?

Mylow

Timetable

gavinfitz

Hi,

I'm planning on testing out the matthews coach commute service.
I'll be traveling from drogheda to parnell st. (job is on parnell st. itself)

I would aim to get in for 8.30 in the mornings.
Would the 7.30 bus from drogheda get into Parnell St. for this time?
Or would I be better off getting the IFSC bus and walking across from Amien st?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They run very much to schedule, so what does their timetable say?

gipi

The timetable allocates an hour for the trip, I think, but the actual journey time all depends on the traffic volume on any given day (and that can be harder to predict than the winning lottery numbers ).

There are roadworks just starting on the M1 which, if they have the same effect as the last ones, will cause serious delays and I suspect the 7.30am won't get there by 8.30am.

As the IFSC bus also has to pass the roadworks, it may be delayed too, although it makes up a lot of time by bypassing Santry, etc.

If your start time is exactly 8.30am, then you might have to consider an earlier bus just to be certain. If your start time is 8.30-ish, then the 7.30am would probably be ok - it might get you in at 8.30, but might be a tad later now and again.

kormak

gipi wrote: »

There are roadworks just starting on the M1 which, if they have the same effect as the last ones, will cause serious delays and I suspect the 7.30am won't get there by 8.30am.

are these roadworks actually happening?! I haven't seen any signs of it yet...

nc6000

kormak wrote: »

are these roadworks actually happening?! I haven't seen any signs of it yet...

Plenty of roadworks signs up today and traffic cones lined out, one of the big signs over the motorway has a red X where there used to be an arrow showing a lane.

Maybe they'll be starting over the weekend so the traffic over the next few months could be great fun.

kormak

nc6000 wrote: »

Plenty of roadworks signs up today and traffic cones lined out, one of the big signs over the motorway has a red X where there used to be an arrow showing a lane.

Maybe they'll be starting over the weekend so the traffic over the next few months could be great fun.

Ohh yeah!! I spoke too soon...
feckin road works signs, cones all out this morning!!! :mad:
all that's left now is impending traffic pain.

to e honest I don't see anything wrong with the existing lane setup?!

Rossin

How can they justify bumping their single tickets up to €9?! 2 euro price hike!

I don't think ill be on a Matthews bus again any time soon!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Rossin wrote: »

How can they justify bumping their single tickets up to €9?! 2 euro price hike!

I don't think ill be on a Matthews bus again any time soon!

You'll have a long walk so.

Same price as Bus Eireann but Matthews' offer a 10 trip ticket for €60 and move frequent departures, with quicker travel times - so no debate in my book. A great service and long may it last. They really shook up CIE in this area.

As for how can they justify it: have you bought Diesel lately? €1.55 a litre now around town. It's costing me a fortune just to drive to the bus!!! Cost me over €30 to drive to Dublin one day last week and that was without parking charges. €150 min per week to drive; €60 with Matthews (and no hassle) means a no brainer to me.

Rossin

the same ticket with bus eireann is 5.50

only really getting any value if you but the ten trip i guess, im not sure if its worth it anymore, id still be losing 50c per trip hmmmmmmm

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Rossin wrote: »

the same ticket with bus eireann is 5.50

only really getting any value if you but the ten trip i guess, im not sure if its worth it anymore, id still be losing 50c per trip hmmmmmmm

I paid €14 return with Bus Eireann last week!

Rossin

well im not sure what journey you take but its 5.50 drog-dun 10.5 return compared to 9e and 14e return for matthews

it turns out i have to get a bus home on tues nights at 9.30. which means i have to get the matthews, so im actually better off paying the 60 just because of that one trip, ah well so much for moaning

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ah fro fecks sake! You're only talking about from Drogheda to Dundalk (The topic was Dublin)

The prices I quote for both is the full journey of Dundalk-Dublin-Dundalk.

Paddy_Smith

Am I the only one who thinks this service is a bloody shambles??!! :mad:

Jesus, how can they put up the price, with so many problems with the service is an absolute disgrace!!? ...They're very inconsistent with their arrival times, and the air-con is more or less non-existent. They're the two biggest problems I have with the service.

I'll probably be keeping away from the service in the meantime, until they get their act together.

Dunny

ALWAYS on time in my years using the service, apart from the snow which backed up the M1. I myself have never had one complaint with the service/company or even heard of anyone having a complaint.

Bus Eireann have also put prices up, and Im sure Dublin Bus and other companies have aswell.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Paddy_Smith wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks this service is a bloody shambles??!! :mad:

Jesus, how can they put up the price, with so many problems with the service is an absolute disgrace!!? ...They're very inconsistent with their arrival times, and the air-con is more or less non-existent. They're the two biggest problems I have with the service.

I'll probably be keeping away from the service in the meantime, until they get their act together.

Paddy, as you found when you started this other thread back in July:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056335120:

most people by far expressed opinions that Matthews were excellent.

I still think the service is excellent. All transport costs have risen recently (do you not travel or buy diesel?) and the service from Matthews' is superior, in my view, to any of them.

You obviously have a bee in your bonnet about them and I wonder why you are still complaining 7 months later - if they are that bad surely you aren't still using them.

kormak

Has anyone ever got the free wireless on Matthews to actually work?!

not1but4

kormak wrote: »

Has anyone ever got the free wireless on Matthews to actually work?!

When they first rolled it out I was able to get it on my laptop at the time. Havent tired it on my new laptop but on my phone (Galaxy S II) I havent been able to connect.

annex

kormak wrote: »

Has anyone ever got the free wireless on Matthews to actually work?!

Its kinda hit and miss, I do get it but pages can take ages to load so I just give up after a while.

indiewindy

Paddy_Smith wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks this service is a bloody shambles??!! :mad:

Jesus, how can they put up the price, with so many problems with the service is an absolute disgrace!!? ...They're very inconsistent with their arrival times, and the air-con is more or less non-existent. They're the two biggest problems I have with the service.

I'll probably be keeping away from the service in the meantime, until they get their act together.

oh dear, you only seem to post negative comments about Matthews buses, air con always works on the buses I use, as for arrival times, again no problems for me

Long Term Louth

Does anyone here board or disembark at monasterboice? Its just that coming from Dublin, some drivers stop directly opposite Donegans and some after the crossroads a good distance further down the main road. For me the ones stopping after the crossroads, particularly on dark evenings put passengers at risk, as the passengers generally have to cross back on foot and then usually negotiate the distance to Donegans on one of the most dangerous roads on the outskirts of Drogheda. As I stated some drivers do this some dont, I have e-mailed Matthew's three times in relation to the health and safety concerns this issue presents to me as a passenger and as yet have received no response. Does anyone else view this as a problem or is it just me? Otherwise the service is excellent

rogieop

i took the matthews(matthis as most town heads call it) for the best part of 4 years.

Overall id rate it as a good service. i used to mix it up, every 5 or 6 weeks id drive in just to get a week off the bus.

with regards times ive never had any problems. the bus always left on time, i can ever remember it being late. arriving on time can be a different matter and the odd time it was late but due to no fault of the driver. every commuter service is susceptible to delays.

I did find that the aircon was rarely used. i came to the conclusion that the driver has his own and genuinely forgets to turn the air on for others, apart from that my other big problem was the seats. im 6'4 so the leg room was minimal to say the least.

One other complaint was that if you need to use the boot, you have to wait for the bus queue up ask the driver to open the boot and then you're halfway down the queue again, surely there is a better service than that,

ill finish on a good note though, i did leave a bag behind on the bus before, laptop, mp3 players, work stuff and $2000!

When i realised what id done my heart sank. i rang straight away and the woman in the office offered me every single oppertunity. she said she could get another driver to bring it with him or to give it to the driver of the bus i was due to get the next day etc etc, i decided to drive out to the offices there and then instead. Got a really pleasent customer experience, good directions and when i got the bag everything was still intact!

People may like or dislike the service but with the only other alternatives being, drive/train/bus eireann, even if you think their standard is poor(which i dont), its still by an absolute mile the best of a bad bunch!

kormak

Long Term Louth wrote: »

Does anyone here board or disembark at monasterboice? Its just that coming from Dublin, some drivers stop directly opposite Donegans and some after the crossroads a good distance further down the main road. For me the ones stopping after the crossroads, particularly on dark evenings put passengers at risk, as the passengers generally have to cross back on foot and then usually negotiate the distance to Donegans on one of the most dangerous roads on the outskirts of Drogheda. As I stated some drivers do this some dont, I have e-mailed Matthew's three times in relation to the health and safety concerns this issue presents to me as a passenger and as yet have received no response. Does anyone else view this as a problem or is it just me? Otherwise the service is excellent

I do! I've said it to a couple of the drivers before and I was told, they don't stop across from Donegans due to road safety.
Having said that, it is actually dangerous for passengers to disembark at the top of NewLine Rd, walk in front of oncoming traffic and then run across the old N1!!
I'll send on an email too...

kormak

rogieop wrote: »

apart from that my other big problem was the seats. im 6'4 so the leg room was minimal to say the least.
QUOTE]

One of my major complaints for using the bus...
Tall people get their legs jammed up against seats. The only 4/5 seats that have a bit of legroom are normally taken up by imps and leprechauns!

Dunny

Hardly the companies fault you are tall!(:D I kid I kid)

I can see what you mean, Im tall enough but I manage to make do. Usually the seats nearer the back have more leg room.

I find Bus Eireann the worst for it, no room at all.