Dublin Bus mobile app being retired

I agree with with everything what you have just said, except the need of pdf timetables? I preferred the timetables within the website interface as it was in the previous DB website. I don't mind them to be also available in pdf if anyone wants to download them, but not having within the website, simply on screen doesn't seem good to me. It was so much easier to look up the timetable, especially for those who lives close to the end of the route or are served by only one route. Pdfs are clunky. They may open within the browser as a plugin, but they get downloaded to the phone which is annoying because I then need to go to me downloads folder and if I ever download any other files in future, these timetable pdfs get lost in the list of my downloaded files. I go to check if I can get pdfs opened in Edge on my phone.

Just wanted to add that I wasn’t annoyed at you just be clear, but rather the NTA.

As you can tell this lack of attention to detail is really beginning to annoy me, and my anger is firmly aimed at the incompetence that is being displayed, quite literally, by the NTA.

It is the small simple things that they keep getting wrong.

It tis.

I use them regularly to check the scheduled bus is actually running (remember that period in which buses regularly didn't turn up when DB initially claimed unforeseen circumstances before admitting it was illness) and that the Luas hasn't been delayed.

And because I know the timetable of the buses I connect to I regularly spot the app just not providing them as connections in my planned journey.

The older Journey Planner didn't have the same problem and during the period when both were active you could compare their results for the same journey and see the missed journeys the new app wouldn't suggest.

Yes, it can be argued that it's an issue with the API and the data it returns, but it shows how poor the testing it went through was and obviously didn't use the returned data from the previous iteration for regression purposes.

Re. the new Dublin Bus website, I don't want to be downloading and storing PDFs of timetables for routes, I much preferred the old timetable pages particularly if it's for a route you might only get once or twice plus it means you're always looking at the most up to date schedule.

I never knew that site existed. Thanks for that.

You can select live maps by operator and then sub-select by individual route if you wish.

It is pretty accurate, but like RTPI, there can be glitches where a bus may vanish temporarily where there has just been a driver change or immediately after a driver signing in at the start of their duty.

Why would you not just select the operator (Dublin Bus in that case) and then “map”, and you’ll see every bus they have out on the road on the map, regardless of what route it is on.

You can then zoom in the area around the stop.

I downloaded the Dublin Bus app today, seeing as the web browser option doesn't work anymore. The app loads up but there's no information on anything I click. Does anyone know what the issue is?

Considering how quickly the new website (and its structure) was brought up live, it's rather obvious that DB were eager to get rid of their app, which relied heavily on the old website structures for a lot of its static information.

I picked Adamstown in Dublin West to the Dublin Airport and it gives me a train to Park West and G1 to Red Cow and then Luas to town and either 16/41 bus or a private bus via M50. Absolutely ridiculous.

Another option to Heuston and then Dublin Express.

I want cheaper, but longer. App does say that I can choose operators via the settings, however, it only allow to choose one. So why do they use the word operators in plural?! I thought I could exclude Dublin Express by choosing DB and GAI only. I pretend I don't know that I won't need GAI.

I know exactly that the cheapest best option for me is train to Drumcondra and then a bus 16/41. But the app doesn’t give it to me and suggests to change in the city centre which I don't want.

I could add Drumcondra in the Via field and narrow the options to DB operator, but then I won't get trains!

This app is useless to me as I know Dublin network better than the whole database which is not very normal.

FYI, I'm not a regular PT user. I drive every day to work sitting alone in my 5 seats car. Because it takes 15-20 min for me to get to work while PT would be 45 min with 2 buses. That's the BC missed opportunity of having better connections with industrial estates and business parks.

This app is no good to me. I can plant my journey by just looking to the map and giving myself 2-3 min to think and 5 min to plan. I use PT twice a month only. I would happily use daily if it'd be designed by those who actually use it.

I know, and I mentioned private buses. This is what I meant. I don't want the app to give me suggestions I'm not looking for. I want the cheapest best option. I don't want 700. I want a train and DB or just DB so that I pay 2 Euro only. I rarely use PT, but going forward I can pop some more examples showing that I have better options than this not smart app.

Any way to increase the font size, just on this app? Don't particularly want to increase the font size on the entire phone as this is the only app I seem to have a problem with.

I was going to attempt to put up a screen shot but Brian's pic above is a perfect example.

There's a hell of a lot of needless white space. The route column is sized for the word 'route' and the filter beside it. But the actual route number value is going to be a 2/3/4 digit code so increase the bloody fontsize of it please. At a stop on the N3 I found it quite difficult to see whether the next bus was a 37, 38 or 39. And why the hell does the first bus have grey shading on it on the display, that makes it even more difficult. Maybe it's a 'you need glasses' situation, but never found myself having to peer forlornly at the Dublin Bus app when on the street, and have no problem with Luas app either.

'Departs' column takes up a lot of space as well. Could be reduced and/or the font size of the value row increased.

(Minor point from above screenshot. 'Abbey St' and 'Shaw street' is shoddy inconsistency)

Welcome to the club of clueless users who doesn't know what this app should and could look comparing to the other similar apps around the world. You shouldn't be proud of yourself saying this. I suggest you to up your requirements as people like you doesn't promote progress and improvements.

Don't worry, I also think the text is a little bit too small and could be increased in size by very tiny bit. Lots of white space is just a bad design overall. Some options aren't intuitive either and requires to either look through, or sit and think. App users shouldn't think. That's the whole point of the app. They are compact and quick to use versions of the website. I saw someone a while ago suggested a user guide to be published. That's an absolutely ridiculous suggestion as that would prove how bad the app is. It has to be designed in the way that it wouldn't need to stare at screen trying to clearly see something what we need to see and it must be design in an easy to use manner so that all options and functions to be intuitively found and be clear to see and understand.

The unique vehicle ID is there in the API, and as seen with bustimes, that functionality is possible (albeit unofficial community entries). It would be great if there was a official version of this data.

The app is only as good as the data going into it.

Cancellations require manual intervention, and there are far more of those right now than normal, but the same number of controllers who are trying to keep the service going.

It's a standard through the other apps in other countries. Any computer literate person will easily correctly assume that's a scheduled time and a realtime info is missing for that departure. I'm dismissing your complain. You'd know I love complaining and would normally support good ideas and valid complaints. Nice try, but not this time.

I'm kinda glad that small font and hard to read outside/on the move seem to be more than just a 'me' issue anyway. Hopefully it brings it one step closer to being fixed.

Be careful or you'll annoy ChatGPT above.