What Is The Best Value For Money Public Transport

foggy_lad

Mile for Mile what do people think is the best value public transport? Include all forms of mass transport in your deliberations please, plane, train and bus and also all operators public and private.


My own would be bus/coaches because of the flexibility and speed, I would also pick privates over state operators because they appear to be doing a lot more with their funding than the state companies with all they receive each year.

BenShermin

In Ireland? Surely it has to be Aircoach and GoBÉ services on the Dublin to Cork Route.

€9 single on Aircoach buys you 259KM, or €0.035 a kilometer.

Hilly Bill

I think they all are to some degree. Intercity buses , Dart and commuter within the short hop zone, Dublin bus , cheap flights when available to the uk with Ryanair or Aer lingus . Sail and rail to London for €46 is really good value so for me i would say the sail and rail is the best value.

foggy_lad

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I think they all are to some degree. Intercity buses , Dart and commuter within the short hop zone, Dublin bus , cheap flights when available to the uk with Ryanair or Aer lingus . Sail and rail to London for €46 is really good value so for me i would say the sail and rail is the best value.

Yes I agree about Dart and Commuter services being great for what they are especially the northern commuter and the new portlaoise commuter services operated by 22000s but they are quite a bit more expensive than similar journeys by bus with little benefit in speed outside of peak times.

TheJak01

Depends on distance really. For very short distances it's going to be the bus, due to practicality and frequent stops.

When considering travel around Dublin, if on the Dart line it is by far the best value for money, simply due the speed it operates at in comparison to Dublin bus. Luas doesn't have quite the same advantages as it uses the road for much of it's route, but I'd still argue that due to it's time advantage, it's be better value for money. This of course assuming that fares for bus and rail are roughly similar, which they seem to be in Dublin.

For intercity transport, as much as I'd love to say rail, it has to be bus. It's just so much cheaper without being an awful lot slower or compromising on comfort. Rail has potential to completely trump bus for this service, but not only would prices need to come down, but journey times would need to decrease too. Unfortunately, in a small country like Ireland bringing in a faster line doesn't make an awful lot of sense, and for that reason I can see Bus being king for years to come. Other than major Routes, I can't see Irish rail surviving in it's current form, bus just comes across so much cheaper without much compromise.

keith16

I have to say it's the DART. A big invitation to "see you in court" every time you walk in to the station. How nice.

Richard Logue

Well Irish Rail's family tickets offer good value for a family of two adults and up to four children on Intercity trains. The fare between Dublin and Cork is €99.

Source: http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=118&n=277

BenShermin

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Sail and rail to London for €46 is really good value so for me i would say the sail and rail is the best value.

Superb value, I use sailrail whenever I have the time.

You can get Eurolines from Dublin to London for €53 return if booked in advance, cheap, but it's a really horrible journey.

Hilly Bill

foggy_lad wrote: »

Yes I agree about Dart and Commuter services being great for what they are especially the northern commuter and the new portlaoise commuter services operated by 22000s but they are quite a bit more expensive than similar journeys by bus with little benefit in speed outside of peak times.

Which is quicker to skerries, train or dublin bus?

Hilly Bill

BenShermin wrote: »

Superb value, I use sailrail whenever I have the time.

You can get Eurolines from Dublin to London for €52 return if booked in advance, cheap, but it's a really horrible journey.

Is it bad? its booked out a lot.

Hilly Bill

Richard Logue wrote: »

Well Irish Rail's family tickets offer good value for a family of two adults and up to four children on Intercity trains. The fare between Dublin and Cork is €99.

Source: http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=118&n=277

You can get a 3 day unlimited bus and rail for that price.

MGWR

foggy_lad wrote: »

Mile for Mile what do people think is the best value public transport? Include all forms of mass transport in your deliberations please, plane, train and bus and also all operators public and private.

My own would be bus/coaches because of the flexibility and speed, I would also pick privates over state operators because they appear to be doing a lot more with their funding than the state companies with all they receive each year.

I've never been on a bus that has done 125 mph. I think I would feel unsafe in the bus at that speed. I've been on trains running at that speed though.

When one says "mile for mile" then one has to include all aspects, such as heat efficiency (not only the motor but also the tyres), passenger capacity versus all of that, et cetera. "Flexibility" is strictly down to availability of alignment, and when the government is in control of the whole thing, then they may limit one mode while not assigning a limit to another mode. (Consider the absence of trolleybus wires in Ireland, something that would improve the efficiency of a bus as a mode by itself.)

the groutch

in before someone says "Free Travel Pass".

but the 30 day rambler (Dublin Bus) for me, unlimited travel anywhere in the city for €4.17 a day(or less if you stocked up before the last increase)

and also Dublin Bikes when it gets expanded further. €10 a year for as many 30 minute cycles as you want is stonking value.

Cookie_Monster

On a per kilometre (we don't use miles any more) basis it'd be hard to beat Ryanair, sure the bus/train to / from the airports will often cost you more.

corktina

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

On a per kilometre (we don't use miles any more) basis it'd be hard to beat Ryanair, sure the bus/train to / from the airports will often cost you more.

we do on the Railways....

ThreeBlindMice

And no one so far has mentioned Dublin Bikes.

For just €20 a year and if you play the timing right you can have the use of the system.

Also Dart + Bring your own bike.

Since the Dart started allowing bikes on board it is a long time since I have driven into the city center particularly off peak and weekends.

BenShermin

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Is it bad? its booked out a lot.

It's one of those things to try once in your life

I took it once to Birmingham and the sight of homeless people and the stench of piss in Digbith bus station at 5am was a welcome relief. That's how bad I found it.

The great thing about GoBÉ, Citylink etc is that you're never more than 3hrs sitting beside someone. Although I've met nothing but genuine characters on intercity buses in Ireland, the Eurolines on the other hand.

Con Logue

Walking is the most cost effective means of transportation there is.

I have done the bus from London to Dublin and all I can say is that it was an experience. One that I won't be in a hurry to repeat

devnull

I've done it once as well from London to Dublin since I had no choice and whilst it wasn't terrible, it's not something I'd ever want to repeat I just got to London so damn tired and the same in Dublin on the way back, fell asleep on the ferry in the bar unintentionally on the way back through sheer tiredness since the passenger next to be on the bus was drunk as a skunk and burping and nudging me the whole damn way to Holyhead.

ThreeBlindMice

Con Logue wrote: »

I have done the bus from London to Dublin and all I can say is that it was an experience. One that I won't be in a hurry to repeat

I think that trip is reserved for students on a shoestring, it was about 25 years ago since I did that trip.

Cookie_Monster

ThreeBlindMice wrote: »

And no one so far has mentioned Dublin Bikes.

For just €20 a year and if you play the timing right you can have the use of the system.

I was going to but the time limit makes it rather expensive after a point. For short CC trips it's fantastic but at the same time it is not designed nor suited to med to longer trips around the greater Dublin area so loses out somewhat.

BenShermin

The Dublin Bus city centre fare is also good value if you're feeling lazy. I think I paid €0.55 Leap from Connolly Station to Werburgh Street last week.

dowlingm

MGWR wrote: »

I've never been on a bus that has done 125 mph. I think I would feel unsafe in the bus at that speed. I've been on trains running at that speed though.

*blinks* I thought this thread referred to transport that exists in Ireland.

MGWR

dowlingm wrote: »

*blinks* I thought this thread referred to transport that exists in Ireland.

Ireland isn't the whole world, no matter the insular attitude of some (and don't forget that the EU is trying to wrest Ireland's national identity away from it anyhow). Best practice of modes of transport that are worldwide ought not be out of play.

MGWR

BenShermin wrote: »

The Dublin Bus city centre fare is also good value if you're feeling lazy. I think I paid €0.55 Leap from Connolly Station to Werburgh Street last week

That's a distance of 1.24 miles. If DB is trying to get more commuters to use the bus versus driving, having the buses jammed up with short-distance passengers (and hence slowing down the bus' average speed in an already-congested city) won't leave a space on board for that market segment.

LXFlyer

MGWR wrote: »

That's a distance of 1.24 miles. If DB is trying to get more commuters to use the bus versus driving, having the buses jammed up with short-distance passengers (and hence slowing down the bus' average speed in an already-congested city) won't leave a space on board for that market segment.

Last time I checked, buses are a form of public transport and as such are there for all users no matter how far they're travelling.

I haven't noticed buses being particularly jammed with short distance travellers, but frankly the company is perfectly entitled to try and encourage use from any source.

Cookie_Monster

lxflyer wrote: »

Last time I checked, buses are a form of public transport and as such are there for all users no matter how far they're travelling.

I haven't noticed buses being particularly jammed with short distance travellers, but frankly the company is perfectly entitled to try and encourage use from any source.

Tell that to the users of the likes of the 7B who can't get the bus home because dozens of people going only to Foxrock or shorter can't be bothered waiting an extra 30 seconds for a 46a or 145...

There needs to be some level of control of some routes.

Vahevala

Since being a victim of a mugging, I no longer feel safe walking on some streets in Dublin city centre so the city centre fare is a godsend to help me avoid some streets that I don't feel comfortable walking in.

Vahevala

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Tell that to the users of the likes of the 7B who can't get the bus home because dozens of people going only to Foxrock or shorter can't be bothered waiting an extra 30 seconds for a 46a or 145...

There needs to be some level of control of some routes.

It is public transport, people are entitled to get whatever bus that they choose.

LXFlyer

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Tell that to the users of the likes of the 7B who can't get the bus home because dozens of people going only to Foxrock or shorter can't be bothered waiting an extra 30 seconds for a 46a or 145...

There needs to be some level of control of some routes.

And what relevance has that to the city centre fare????

bk

Vahevala wrote: »

It is public transport, people are entitled to get whatever bus that they choose.

Of course, but ticket pricing (and bus stops serviced) can be designed to encourage/discourage certain types of travel.

For instance that is why the Luas is relatively expensive for short journeys. To discourage them and instead encourage long distance travel on it.

Typically with public transport systems you want to encourage long distance travel, while instead encouraging people to walk or cycle for short distances.

Safety on the street should be an issue for the Gardai and City Council to solve, not public transport.