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Derry not in Bus Eireann search engine

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  • 07-09-2015 1:05pm
    #1
    Madd Finn
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭


    Looks like the curse of having two names is affecting Derry in unexpected ways.

    There's a really weird glitch on the Bus Eireann search engine which refuses to recognise either Derry or Londonderry if you put that in as the source or destination for your journey when looking for tickets.

    UNLESS....

    You put in the word Foyle, whereupon it returns Foyle Street, the name of the street where the main bus station is located. Then, assuming you have your history settings set to remember your previous searches, if you subsequently put in Derry you will get that option returned as well as all the other Ballinderrys, Edenderrys etc.

    If your browser settings are set to forget previous searches, you will have to remember to enter Foyle next time you use the Bus Eireann search engine.

    I think this is scandalous! Sure. Derry has two names: the official one and the one that everybody uses. Or three, if you include the politically correct broadcasters who insist on calling it Derry/Londonderry.

    But so far it has only been ultra sensitive American multinationals with operations in the city who eschew all references to the city itself, preferring to mention only the industrial estates in which their operations are located, eg Maydown, N Ireland (Dupont) or Springtown, N Ireland (Seagate) There are people in Derry who don't know where the hell Springtown is.

    For Bus Eireann to show such pathetic lily-livered anxiety about offending somebody, and thereby offending ANY potential customer who might want to use their site to avail of their services is beyond stupid.

    If Todd Andrews was still in charge he'd have somebody shot!

    Hope this is of some use to people trying to find their way there on the national bus service :mad:
    Tagged:


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    #2
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    that is because you can't buy cross border tickets online


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    #3
    FanadMan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,820 ✭✭✭FanadMan


    It is a bit strange seeing as the 64 is Galway to Derry. And they have plenty of other buses in Donegal running to Derry.


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    #4
    Madd Finn
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Madd Finn


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    that is because you can't buy cross border tickets online

    And for that reason you can't search for a timetable for said services? :eek::eek:

    And if you can't buy such tickets online, how difficult is it to put in a little message, maybe even a popup telling you this vital piece of information?

    Web site usability means that somebody who comes to a site for the first time looking for basic information (Where does the bus go and when does it leave?) should be able to do so, without having to be aware of all the idiosyncrasies of the company's partnering policy.

    This is disgracefully bad.


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    #5
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Madd Finn wrote: »
    And for that reason you can't search for a timetable for said services? :eek::eek:

    And if you can't buy such tickets online, how difficult is it to put in a little message, maybe even a popup telling you this vital piece of information?

    Web site usability means that somebody who comes to a site for the first time looking for basic information (Where does the bus go and when does it leave?) should be able to do so, without having to be aware of all the idiosyncrasies of the company's partnering policy.

    This is disgracefully bad.

    For the timetables go Here and scroll down


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    #6
    Madd Finn
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Madd Finn


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    that is because you can't buy cross border tickets online

    And by the way if you put in Dublin to Belfast, you get a return of all the buses on that route and the times. OK, it's grayed out so you can't buy a ticket but at least you can see when the bus goes.

    I know I know. You can navigate around the site and find the individual timetables for each route by flicking through all the pages like an old paper telephone directory. But this is supposed to be the Internet, FGS.


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    #7
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Madd Finn wrote: »
    And by the way if you put in Dublin to Belfast, you get a return of all the buses on that route and the times. OK, it's grayed out so you can't buy a ticket but at least you can see when the bus goes.

    I know I know. You can navigate around the site and find the individual timetables for each route by flicking through all the pages like an old paper telephone directory. But this is supposed to be the Internet, FGS.
    Oh I completely agree that they made a pigs ear out of the site which was nothing special but worked well and gave more information than the current one!

    The problem is they wanted to be like Irish Rail who have better web people. Maybe if they get the transition year students in they might be able to sort out the mess Bus Éireann made?


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    #8
    Madd Finn
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Madd Finn


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    For the timetables go Here and scroll down

    Thank you. I know. That is I know but then I am a seasoned traveller on this route. You want tourists and other strangers to be able to use it too, don't you?

    And I also know that it is possible to take an alternative route via Armagh sometimes (which is why I was searching) but I can't find any reference to that on the site.


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    #9
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    I put in Derry in the search timetable bit and a whole unsorted list of places with derry in the name (including Derry) came up.

    Maybe BÉ just need to sort the derrys alphabetically, so Derry is before 23 Edenderry places...


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    #10
    Madd Finn
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Madd Finn


    Carawaystick wrote: »
    I put in Derry in the search timetable bit and a whole unsorted list of places with derry in the name (including Derry) came up.

    Maybe BÉ just need to sort the derrys alphabetically, so Derry is before 23 Edenderry places...


    I would be interested to see what would happen if you cleared your browsing data from your browser and searched again. I'll bet the (real) Derry won't come up.

    That's what seems to happen in mine. With both Chrome and Internet Explorer.


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    #11
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    Madd Finn wrote: »
    I would be interested to see what would happen if you cleared your browsing data from your browser and searched again. I'll bet the (real) Derry won't come up.

    That's what seems to happen in mine. With both Chrome and Internet Explorer.

    My browser is cleared every startup. The above post is what happened.


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    #12
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,719 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    The service via Armagh is an Ulsterbus service.

    Unlike the 33/274 it is not operated jointly with BE - hence you'll need to go to the Translink website for info and the timetable.


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    #13
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    lxflyer wrote: »
    The service via Armagh is an Ulsterbus service.

    Unlike the 33/274 it is not operated jointly with BE - hence you'll need to go to the Translink website for info and the timetable.

    Use the Translink journey planner with the Republic switched in - it takes Derry and/or Londonderry without quibble and links to the Transport for Ireland data.


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    #14
    Madd Finn
    Registered Users Posts: 530 ✭✭✭Madd Finn


    Carawaystick wrote: »
    My browser is cleared every startup. The above post is what happened.

    That's weird. Mine returns Derry only if I've looked at it recently and my history HASN'T been deleted.


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    #15
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,719 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Banjoxed wrote: »
    Use the Translink journey planner with the Republic switched in - it takes Derry and/or Londonderry without quibble and links to the Transport for Ireland data.



    Or you can just use www.a-b.ie the National Journey Planner - that includes the whole island.


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    #16
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,721 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Madd Finn wrote: »
    And by the way if you put in Dublin to Belfast, you get a return of all the buses on that route and the times. OK, it's grayed out so you can't buy a ticket but at least you can see when the bus goes.

    Oh, that is actually an improvement. Up to a few weeks ago, the BE site never listed details of the Belfast route (outside of the PDF timetable listing :rolleyes:)

    Though it shouldn't be greyed out like that, instead, it should display a message in the select column which triggers a pop-up explaining that you can't book that route online and perhaps a link to a mini site about the route.

    Of course really BE and UB should get their act together and actually sell tickets online.

    Also still no mention of the GoBE service to Cork, despite it being a joint partnership and tickets buy able from BE's in station ticket machines. Again even just a link off to the GoBE site to actually purchase the ticket.


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    #17
    kidneyfan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,279 ✭✭✭kidneyfan


    Madd Finn wrote: »
    And for that reason you can't search for a timetable for said services? :eek::eek:

    And if you can't buy such tickets online, how difficult is it to put in a little message, maybe even a popup telling you this vital piece of information?

    Web site usability means that somebody who comes to a site for the first time looking for basic information (Where does the bus go and when does it leave?) should be able to do so, without having to be aware of all the idiosyncrasies of the company's partnering policy.

    This is disgracefully bad.
    You are totally right. The notion that anyone who takes the bus wants to buy their ticket online is absurd. It doesn't even come to mind when one thinks of buses.


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    #18
    kidneyfan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,279 ✭✭✭kidneyfan


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    Oh I completely agree that they made a pigs ear out of the site which was nothing special but worked well and gave more information than the current one!

    The problem is they wanted to be like Irish Rail who have better web people. Maybe if they get the transition year students in they might be able to sort out the mess Bus Éireann made?
    Or just hire the company that did Irish rail's website?


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    #19
    toptom
    Registered Users Posts: 195 ✭✭toptom


    Cos its in a different countrie.


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    #20
    kidneyfan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,279 ✭✭✭kidneyfan


    lxflyer wrote: »
    Or you can just use www.a-b.ie the National Journey Planner - that includes the whole island.

    Derry is like the 30th Derry in that list. Is it so hard to force a sort order?


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    #21
    questionmark?
    Registered Users Posts: 3,074 ✭✭✭questionmark?


    toptom wrote: »
    Cos its in a different countrie.

    That should make no differance. We are not talking politics here but joined up transport thinking for island of Ireland. If you go on an Danish train operators website it's quite easy to book a ticket from any train station to one in Sweden. Guess what they are differant countries too!!


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