What are Dublin West politicians doing about the city centre bus disaster?

hmmm

The introduction of LUAS cross city has been a disaster for bus commuters - the rush hour buses from Lucan are taking forever to get to their destination, and getting home can be worse. Buses seem to be the ones losing out when the planners shuffle the various options around - being rerouted down streets that can't take the traffic. We've had DART underground effectively cancelled, and Kishogue station sits unused, so there are no alternatives for most people.

Are any of our politicians taking notice of this, and what are they doing to defend the bus service?

ArthurG

I'd guess you'll have the chance to ask them in person, on you doorstep, before the end of the year.

n!ghtmancometh

ArthurG wrote: »

I'd guess you'll have the chance to ask them in person, on you doorstep, before the end of the year.

Have emailed all my TD's in Dublin mid west about it and only received a reply from FF's John Curran. Funnily enough the Sinn Fein TD Eoin O'Broin does be on the bus a good few times during the week, so you think it would be in his interest to respond, knowing firsthand the shambles the service can be!

Shows how little they all think of the public transport I suppose.

average_runner

hmmm wrote: »

The introduction of LUAS cross city has been a disaster for bus commuters - the rush hour buses from Lucan are taking forever to get to their destination, and getting home can be worse. Buses seem to be the ones losing out when the planners shuffle the various options around - being rerouted down streets that can't take the traffic. We've had DART underground effectively cancelled, and Kishogue station sits unused, so there are no alternatives for most people.

Are any of our politicians taking notice of this, and what are they doing to defend the bus service?

Lucan bus to city centre is still 40 mins in the morning. Was on it all this week and got on at 745 at Johnsbridge and off it on Bachelors walk at 830 latest.

The 7am one gets in around 7:45 also.

hmmm

I don't not believe you, but that hasn't been my experience. In particular the variability is all over the place - I can get on a bus at 7.30 in Lucan and be in Merrion Square at 8.30 or 9.30, with seeming no way to know. Traffic has been light recently because a lot of schools were off, and teachers were on training (I believe).

Coming home seems even more variable - I suspect a lot of buses aren't getting as far as Merrion and are being turned around on the Quays. Pearse Street can take forever, and the new detour via the Quays could see you stuck there for 15 minutes if you have a bus driver who sits in the left lane.

average_runner

hmmm wrote: »

I don't not believe you, but that hasn't been my experience. In particular the variability is all over the place - I can get on a bus at 7.30 in Lucan and be in Merrion Square at 8.30 or 9.30, with seeming no way to know. Traffic has been light recently because a lot of schools were off, and teachers were on training (I believe).

Coming home seems even more variable - I suspect a lot of buses aren't getting as far as Merrion and are being turned around on the Quays. Pearse Street can take forever, and the new detour via the Quays could see you stuck there for 15 minutes if you have a bus driver who sits in the left lane.

You must be getting stuck across the city part for an hour so. Just get off on the quays, its only a 10-15 min walk and less in the evening cutting through Trinity.

Reason I know the times this week is because my tv show on netflix is 45 mins and i don't finish a episode in the morning, in the evening i just finish an episode. All the schools are back this week.

I do wish they stop sending every bus through Foxborough though.

Mitzy

At least people in Lucan can get on a bus. The other morning 9 packed buses passed me in Palmerstown. Stood at the bus stop for 40 minutes in peak time traffic. And they want to encourage people to use public transport???

hmmm

average_runner wrote: »

You must be getting stuck across the city part for an hour so. Just get off on the quays, its only a 10-15 min walk and less in the evening cutting through Trinity.

It kindof defeats the purpose of a bus if you're quicker getting off a few stops earlier and walking to your destination

average_runner

hmmm wrote: »

It kindof defeats the purpose of a bus if you're quicker getting off a few stops earlier and walking to your destination

But will make you healthier

hmmm

Buses are worse this week if you can believe it. Something is happening around the four courts which is causing them to be stuck for 15 minutes just getting a hundred yards.

Sad Professor

hmmm wrote: »

Coming home seems even more variable - I suspect a lot of buses aren't getting as far as Merrion and are being turned around on the Quays. Pearse Street can take forever, and the new detour via the Quays could see you stuck there for 15 minutes if you have a bus driver who sits in the left lane.

Even when they get to Merion I reckon drivers sometimes run as out of service until they get to Quays. I became convinced of it last year due to the amount of phantom buses.

IvySlayer

I get the bus on Pearse street and you can be sitting outside the Garda Station for half an hour on the bus. Followed by another 20 minutes getting through Westmoreland street!

average_runner

IvySlayer wrote: »

I get the bus on Pearse street and you can be sitting outside the Garda Station for half an hour on the bus. Followed by another 20 minutes getting through Westmoreland street!

It shouldn't be going via westmoreland st.

r93kaey5p2izun

average_runner wrote: »

It shouldn't be going via westmoreland st.

The 66/67s still go that way don't they?

hmmm

average_runner wrote: »

It shouldn't be going via westmoreland st.

Plenty of the 25a & 25b go that way if Tara street is choked (which it usually is). Dead right too, bus passengers are second class citizens when it comes to public transport.

The 66 and 67 still need to go that way.

average_runner

hmmm wrote: »

Plenty of the 25a & 25b go that way if Tara street is choked (which it usually is). Dead right too, bus passengers are second class citizens when it comes to public transport.

The 66 and 67 still need to go that way.

Well get onto your td and tell them to ban cars from the city centre. Things won't improve till we ban cars and improve other modes of transport

ArthurG

average_runner wrote: »

.....Things won't improve till we ban cars.........

WHAT? And take the food from the tables of the poor daysint 5* hotel owners?. Begone with such revolutionary thinking

hmmm

average_runner wrote: »

Well get onto your td and tell them to ban cars from the city centre. Things won't improve till we ban cars and improve other modes of transport

Dublin city councilors don't care, they don't represent West Dublin residents. Knowing the people that vote for them, I'm surprised they allow buses into town at all, their constituents like having their quiet non-overlooked gardens within a stones throw of Grafton Street.

West Dublin TDs & councillors voted for Clonburris knowing full well public transport wasn't up to spec.

average_runner

hmmm wrote: »

Dublin city councilors don't care, they don't represent West Dublin residents. Knowing the people that vote for them, I'm surprised they allow buses into town at all, their constituents like having their quiet non-overlooked gardens within a stones throw of Grafton Street.

West Dublin TDs & councillors voted for Clonburris knowing full well public transport wasn't up to spec.

Well we know what we need to do in our next local elections

brick tamland

Bus service in lucan is significantly quicker that it was 10 years ago . Was only shuddering the other day remembering the days when all the 25a went through chapelizod. Way more buses now too. Waits are less. Different services 25a/b/d

I don't know what writing to local TDs is going to do. They are hardly going to be able to change the Luas cross city.

hmmm

brick tamland wrote: »

Bus service in lucan is significantly quicker that it was 10 years ago .

It has gone from glacial speed to "unreliable and slow".

I don't know what writing to local TDs is going to do. They are hardly going to be able to change the Luas cross city.

It is amazing how many people were rushing to claim credit when it went live, and how they have all disappeared now with no-one apparently in charge.

We need someone in there fighting for bus commuters when changes are proposed, because the Minister, when he can be bothered, only cares about LUAS users.

Del2005

average_runner wrote: »

Well get onto your td and tell them to ban cars from the city centre. Things won't improve till we ban cars and improve other modes of transport

Cars are as good as banned from the city centre now with lane restrictions etc. So what's happened is that all the car drivers who now can't access the city are using public transport from the terminus and the regular passengers are seeing full public transport going past.

So the stick has been used before thinking about the carrot and everyone looses, apart from the planners who have done what they wanted by effectively banning cars from the city

average_runner

Del2005 wrote: »

Cars are as good as banned from the city centre now with lane restrictions etc. So what's happened is that all the car drivers who now can't access the city are using public transport from the terminus and the regular passengers are seeing full public transport going past.

So the stick has been used before thinking about the carrot and everyone looses, apart from the planners who have done what they wanted by effectively banning cars from the city

Look at the quays in the morning ad there is loads of cars in the city. Same coming down Crumlin and the canal.