Cork City Bus Service

Reputable Rog

It seems to me that the City Bus Service has descended beyond woeful.
I have arrived at Kent on numerous occasions in the past few months to find no bus present despite being timetabled.
Yesterday no 208 bus showed up in Patrick Street for over an hour, i eventually had to get the 205 which was 40 minutes late.
It seemed the buses only showing up were for Black Ash or Mahon Point.
In the meantime there was a fleet of out of service buses trundling down Pana.
My return journey last night, waited 40 minutes for the 208 in Bishopstown and it terminated on Pana.
Complete joke.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

I use it daily and it's a horrible, unreliable service.

There's a page on Facebook that are planning to do something about it once and for all: https://www.facebook.com/CorkBus/

They met with Bus Eireann Cork management yesterday according to the page, and are now going to the NTA regarding the continuing delays to Cork's Transport Plan.

It is beyond a joke at this stage.

Sephiroth_dude

At a bus stop in ballincollig since 11:50, bus was due at 12, still no sign of it, joke of a service!

Reputable Rog

Arrived into Kent and 205 fails to materialise once again, lashing rain and no taxis either.
Another fleet of As Seibhis running up and down Pana.As if having it in Irish makes it more acceptable.

Pablo Escobar

Reputable Rog wrote: »

Arrived into Kent and 205 fails to materialise once again, lashing rain and no taxis either.
Another fleet of As Seibhis running up and down Pana.As if having it in Irish makes it more acceptable.

Are you going to the correct stop? I was there a few weeks ago and people were saying that they'd been waiting for the 205 for 90 mins. They were at the wrong side of the station at the old stop.

Reputable Rog

Pablo Escobar wrote: »

Are you going to the correct stop? I was there a few weeks ago and people were saying that they'd been waiting for the 205 for 90 mins. They were at the wrong side of the station at the old stop.

New stop on the southern side.

Flesh Gorden

208 is diabolical, especially after 6pm when it's meant to be every 20mins.

Used to be my old route into the city and still is for most of my extended family, one of whom I've had to drive up to and give a lift to more times than I should need to, as she would be late for work in the evenings, having waited for over an hour.


From what I witnessed about 2 weeks ago whilst having a few pints, sat outside Dan Lowrys on MacCurtain Street.

From about 6:45-ish to just after 8pm

1x 208
1x 207
2x Out of Service empty Double Deckers
2x 205

Traffic wasn't crazy either, flowing as you'd expect it to, with only taxi drop-offs causing random stoppages.


Strangely though, when those buses did arrive they weren't packed and there wasn't a huge queue across the way outside Hillbillies either.

Have to wonder if people commuting are being collected by car, due to how unreliable the city services are.


Where I'm living now as well, on the Sundays it's mostly private coaches hired out to take the local route back into the city.

Mardyke

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

Have to wonder if people commuting are being collected by car, due to how unreliable the city services are.


.

Absolutely I would say.

I like to try and get the bus but if I needed to be somewhere at a particular time or if the weather was bad I wouldn't even consider the bus. You cannot rely on it.

People need to keep harassing Martin Walsh and submitting receipts for taxis when buses don't show up.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Mardyke wrote: »

Absolutely I would say.

I like to try and get the bus but if I needed to be somewhere at a particular time or if the weather was bad I wouldn't even consider the bus. You cannot rely on it.

People need to keep harassing Martin Walsh and submitting receipts for taxis when buses don't show up.

I've claimed taxis back from them before, for no-show buses.

I suggest others do the same. Maybe it'll end up convincing them to actually cop on and provide the city with a half decent bus service.

Martin.walsh@buseireann.ie
Tim.O'Leary@buseireann.ie
Frances.mccarthy@buseireann.ie
Stephen.Kent@buseireann.ie

And CC the NTA CEO and Shane Ross while you're at it:
Anne.graham@nationaltransport.ie
Shane.ross@oireachtas.ie

namloc1980

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

208 is diabolical, especially after 6pm when it's meant to be every 20mins.

Used to be my old route into the city and still is for most of my extended family, one of whom I've had to drive up to and give a lift to more times than I should need to, as she would be late for work in the evenings, having waited for over an hour.


From what I witnessed about 2 weeks ago whilst having a few pints, sat outside Dan Lowrys on MacCurtain Street.

From about 6:45-ish to just after 8pm

1x 208
1x 207
2x Out of Service empty Double Deckers
2x 205

Traffic wasn't crazy either, flowing as you'd expect it to, with only taxi drop-offs causing random stoppages.


Strangely though, when those buses did arrive they weren't packed and there wasn't a huge queue across the way outside Hillbillies either.

Have to wonder if people commuting are being collected by car, due to how unreliable the city services are.


Where I'm living now as well, on the Sundays it's mostly private coaches hired out to take the local route back into the city.

BTW anyone know what's the story with the bus lane on MacCurtain Street? It seems to be continuously jammed with cars parked or just sitting there at all times of the day.

Flesh Gorden

namloc1980 wrote: »

BTW anyone know what's the story with the bus lane on MacCurtain Street? It seems to be continuously jammed with cars parked or just sitting there at all times of the day.

I don't make as much use of it as I used to, but previously for work during the day, I would have been passing up there multiple times a day.

So just from my own observations:

It's officially a bus lane between 08:30-18:00 Mon-Sat

At the peak hours in the morning and from 16:30-18:30 it usually is pretty clear, buses getting through without much issue.

What most people see though is during working hours, from say 10:00-16:00 there are a lot of delivery trucks using it as a parking bay for all the restaurants and shops.

Plus the various construction work going on in various parts


After 18:00 traffic is free enough to keep things going and as it's outside the hours, there's a mixture of people parking there either eating on the street or delivery drivers for all the takeaways.

One building on that street that most people never notice, who contribute a lot to cars parking up there is the Grace Church near the Thompson House end.

There's no hope of getting a space anywhere on a Sunday or a Tuesday night when they're in session.

Sephiroth_dude

Ballincollig is suppose to be going g every 15minutes, I see no hope of that happening anyway.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Route 220 going 24 hour in January

Sephiroth_dude

Donovan Chubby Hay wrote: »

Route 220 going 24 hour in January

Ya thats not gonna work out anyway.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Donovan Chubby Hay wrote: »

Route 220 going 24 hour in January

I want to point out that while this sounds great on paper, in the early hours of the morning the service will only be running every two hours. So not really '24 hours'. Still, a step forward, but we'll see how it pans out in January.

questionmark?

It's worth raising the poor service to satellite towns like Midleton. For example the last bus to Midleton is at 11 pm so anyone in Glounthaune, Carrigtowhill or Midleton who might want a night out (not just pub but any gig or show on in town) can't use public transport to get home. To midleton it's €5:39 with the leap 30% discount so totally over priced as well.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

questionmark? wrote: »

It's worth raising the poor service to satellite towns like Midleton. For example the last bus to Midleton is at 11 pm so anyone in Glounthaune, Carrigtowhill or Midleton who might want a night out (not just pub but any gig or show on in town) can't use public transport to get home. To midleton it's €5:39 with the leap 30% discount so totally over priced as well.

The majority of city services also finish around 11pm. My local Bus, the 223, finishes at 11.20pm. We'd all love night services, I know.

I do agree about fares though.

questionmark?

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

The majority of city services also finish around 11pm. My local Bus, the 223, finishes at 11.20pm. We'd all love night services, I know.

I do agree about fares though.

I think we are in agreement that the bus service in cork city and subarbs/satellite towns is just not good enough.

It feels like a service run for a 1980' country villiage rather than the countries second city. Shambles.

Padraig Mor

namloc1980 wrote: »

BTW anyone know what's the story with the bus lane on MacCurtain Street? It seems to be continuously jammed with cars parked or just sitting there at all times of the day.

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

It's officially a bus lane between 08:30-18:00 Mon-Sat

At the peak hours in the morning and from 16:30-18:30 it usually is pretty clear, buses getting through without much issue.

What most people see though is during working hours, from say 10:00-16:00 there are a lot of delivery trucks using it as a parking bay for all the restaurants and shops.

.

No, it's a bus lane Mon - Fri peak hours only (7.30 - 9.30, 16.30 - 18.30). Dunno how you think it's pretty clear at peak hours as that's not my experience (evening anyway, which is when I use it). Enforcement of it is a disgrace - it's completely normal to have 4 or 5 cars parked in it during evening rush hour, sometime even 10+. Many of these seem to be delivery drivers for takeaways etc as far as I can see. Absolutely useless as a bus lane! (it all harks back to one of my bugbears - we don't need new bus measures / driving legislation; we need enforcement of what we already have). I've never seen any enforcement of it.........until last Thursday! Two Gardai pulling people in the lane (including people actually driving in it, which I very rarely see to be fair) - about bloody time, nearly crashed me car with the surprise!

Flesh Gorden

questionmark? wrote: »

It's worth raising the poor service to satellite towns like Midleton. For example the last bus to Midleton is at 11 pm so anyone in Glounthaune, Carrigtowhill or Midleton who might want a night out (not just pub but any gig or show on in town) can't use public transport to get home. To midleton it's €5:39 with the leap 30% discount so totally over priced as well.

I was actually on the Nightbus last night that left outside the Savoy last night at 1am, 2am, and 3am.

It's the service they have only ran during the Jazz weekend, Fri and Sat this and I think next weekend as well.

Going through Mayfield, Glanmire, Glounthaune and eventually on to Midleton.

Absolutely packed, nobody acting the idiot either.

I've no idea how much it cost to go as far as Midleton, as my stop in Glanmire is within the cheaper Leap fares.

ofcork

A colleague gets the bus to work in ringaskiddy very unreliable too an hour late during the week.

smurgen

ofcork wrote: »

A colleague gets the bus to work in ringaskiddy very unreliable too an hour late during the week.

One of the worst.i live in rochestown and it's been over an hour late multiple times in the last few weeks.is there some unofficial strike happening we don't know about? The bus service isn't fit for purpose.

Pen Rua

I finished lectures late one evening in CIT; 205 wasn't due to leave for a solid 30+ mins but the app showed a 220 due in 15 mins on Model Farm Road. I belt up to wait for it - no show. Another one was due - another no show. Ended up waiting over 45 mins until the 205 (which I could have gotten earlier and been warm and dry inside!) finally came along. Yikes.

I lived out on Rochestown road two years ago; not surprised that the 223 hasn't changed. The amount of times it didn't show up or was late... unbelievable. Often had to take the back up 216 (Mt Oval?) and leg it to work when it arrived to the city.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

smurgen wrote: »

One of the worst.i live in rochestown and it's been over an hour late multiple times in the last few weeks.is there some unofficial strike happening we don't know about? The bus service isn't fit for purpose.

I'm the same, rely on the 223 for college and leisure, consistently late and very infrequent.

We have two hour gaps in the evenings between buses!! Crazy!!

Cork City Council promoting the use of cars and their car parks certainly doesn't help, more so at this time of year!

questionmark?

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

I was actually on the Nightbus last night that left outside the Savoy last night at 1am, 2am, and 3am.

It's the service they have only ran during the Jazz weekend, Fri and Sat this and I think next weekend as well.

Going through Mayfield, Glanmire, Glounthaune and eventually on to Midleton.

Absolutely packed, nobody acting the idiot either.

I've no idea how much it cost to go as far as Midleton, as my stop in Glanmire is within the cheaper Leap fares.

Surely there is a call to have that service every Friday and Saturday night. Even start out with just Saturdays. Surely a modern city should have public transport options at night.

whisky_galore

questionmark? wrote: »

Surely there is a call to have that service every Friday and Saturday night. Even start out with just Saturdays. Surely a modern city should have public transport options at night.

It's like whoever plans the buses thinks everyone should be home to watch the Late Late or whatever dross is on Sat nights now. Utter joke of a setup.

igCorcaigh

questionmark? wrote: »

Surely there is a call to have that service every Friday and Saturday night. Even start out with just Saturdays. Surely a modern city should have public transport options at night.

Completely agree! Ah, memories of leaving the pub before last call to get the last bus home.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

whisky_galore wrote: »

It's like whoever plans the buses thinks everyone should be home to watch the Late Late or whatever dross is on Sat nights now. Utter joke of a setup.

Methinks there's a bit of fear with regards to unions also acting up if their drivers are asked to work late. :rolleyes:

Manach

My quibble is accuracy. If the app/timetable displays were correct to reasonable degree (+/- 5 minutes) then one can at least plan ahead. Instead what we have are "ghost" buses that are incorperial - i.e. they don't arrive/exist.

Nigel Fairservice

No 206 bus between 4 and 5 pm on Friday. Very poor considering it's such a busy route. Phantom buses on the RTI app as well when I was waiting at the stop.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Nigel Fairservice wrote: »

No 206 bus between 4 and 5 pm on Friday. Very poor considering it's such a busy route. Phantom buses on the RTI app as well when I was waiting at the stop.

Should have been one every 15 mins. Are you saying that no bus showed up at all within that hour? Shocking.

Were you on the South Mall?