BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

There is a S6 cancelled from Tallaght to Blackrock pencilled in for later today on the TFI journey planner.

I have never used the S6 myself. Anytime that I have checked it on the planner; the route is always very consistent with buses turning up as scheduled. I have seen a good few cancellations popping up over the last few weeks for the S8 too which is not a good sign. I can't think of a solid reason why the S8's are getting cancellations every so often on it's schedule. I think as we are still in the winter period; it could be a possibility that the recent covid, flu and RSV outbreaks on some of GA's drivers maybe hampering their operation of the S8 over a short period of time. Their could be other reasons as well like heavy traffic being present at random times of the day along the M50 when the buses go from the depot in Ballymount out to Kingswood Avenue to start their duty on the route.

There are other cancellations noted on the planner for both DB & BÉ in Blackrock & Belfield today.

An 84a departure from Bray Dart Station to St Vincent's Hospital was cancelled earlier this morning.

There is also 1 cancellation noted for the 105X from UCD to Ratoath from later today as well.

I’m a regular user of the N6, and while my section of the route is unchanged from the 17a it replaced, the frequency and punctuality have improved immensely. A 40 minute wait for a peak hour 17a was not unheard of, these days there is rarely a wait longer than 15mins.

Loading does seem good, I never have any problem getting a seat but I’d regularly have somebody sitting beside me which used not be the case.

I still hate the loop through Beaumont hospital with a passion.

Previously I used make a judgement call on whether going into town and back out was quicker than the 17a, wouldn’t dream of doing that now. If the app shows a cancelled n6 I’ll travel a little closer to town and get the n4.

I've used the S4 a few times. It hits peaks and troughs numbers wise all along the route, as you'd expect. The 10 minute headway is probably OTT though, especially in the evening.

Some of the extra stops they've put in along the route though are barmy and unnecessary. And some of them are at terrible locations. I've mostly been on it off-peak and the running time is generous so there's a fair bit of holding at stops along the route but I've noticed that they hold at the new stops more than the existing ones. Makes me wonder if that's partly the reason for them.

My commute to work (if I'm getting the bus) is now the S6 to UCD and switch to the S4 until the Naas Road. It may be due to college still being off, but most of the peak time S4 services seem to be running at least 10 minutes ahead of time in both directions. Nice 30 minute layover for the drivers at either end! 😁 Definitely outside of term time the 10 minute frequency is overkill. It could definitely be reduced to 15-20 minutes and still provide a very good service level.

Question now is are those transfers going further on the S2 routing, or would they be better served by the O once it gets going and transfer at Hanlon's Corner?

Why should he know?

This is why I have a half decent data plan. I wouldn't be relying on Dublin Bus WiFi, and I certainly wouldn't expect a bus driver to know every route in Dublin, including ones that operate from different garages.

His job is to drive the bus and know his own routes, not know the entire network

There's only 3 southern orbitals.

It's important to know for transfers.

You'd think he'd have some clue.

It's his job to know these things.

It's not like I was asking him about quantum physics.

It's his job to drive his own bus, ideally without being bothered by people asking questions that they can easily find the answers to online. The clue is in the job title - bus driver. They have a customer service department for queries like yours.

Driving the bus is his job. Providing information on routes that operate from different garages is not part of his job. Get a data plan.

Could you not have asked other passengers? I came across this situation on a bus one day where the driver didn't know a route that a passenger wanted to change to, to be fair to him he went out of his way and called control to find out for the passenger but the bus was quiet enough to be fair and it was the middle of the day.

It really isn't.

It is, however, the passengers job to know where they're going which, it seems, you didn't.

And its the passengers job to not disturb the driver which, it seems, you did

Yes, it is. Because a taxi driver isn't required to know anything about your destination either!