January 12 2011 by Paul Gogarty
What users say about Dublin Bus review for Lucan
I have been inundated with comments following the rollout of the new revised bus service. Most of them have been negative to date and all have been forwarded on to the company for response. I have it on good authority that drivers are reluctant to roll out other Network Review routes such as Clondalkin until the Lucan review is sorted out.
The old 25x users from Superquinn appear to have either stopped using the bus, or taken the longer and less safe option of crossing over the median and getting a 66x bus on the N4 at Vesey Park.
The 25A seems to have been working reasonably well during peak hours inbound and the routing along the dual carriageway has been welcomed. However drivers are saying that off-peak they are not picking up many people and that it would be more economical and more customers would be picked up by going via Chapelizod during the day. In the evenings there have been reports of the 25A and 25B buses being full before they reach Westmoreland Street. The Merrion Square terminus does not seem to be working out.
Regarding the 25B inbound, this route is unsatisfactory to many customers coming from Adamstown, Finnstown and estates off Griffeen Avenue due to the routing through Foxborough which is adding to journey times.
The 151 Terminus is causing major problems in Foxborough due to its location close to housing and the turning over of engines at early hours, especially during the cold weather. The company should really re-examine where this terminus is located and has been requested to do so. There is a mixed response to the actual revised 151 route.
The comments received to date are pasted below. Some were cc’d to me as part of a submission to Dublin Bus. All have been brought to the attention of the company.
———-
Annette
show details 30/11/2010
Hello Paul,
Here’s some feedback from my husband who uses the bus to go from Castle Riada to work near Infirmary Road. He says he has quite regularly had to wait for a bus for up to 30 mins or more and that’s at peak times. In Lucan he usually picks up the bus near the Griffeen Centra and coming home near Heuston Station. When the bus does arrive it’s totally packed with a huge crowd of people waiting to get on.
However, we do welcome the more direct route into town that bypasses Chapelizod etc.
Finally, it’s not directly related but customer service falls down quite a lot. Some bus drivers could be a bit more aware of the time it takes to get from the seat to the door when you have two small children. You can’t really stand up until the bus has stopped in those situations, especially when the bus is travelling round a bend in the road. Some drivers have driven off from my stop before I’ve managed to get to the door, or not even stopped at all because I wasn’t at the door yet.
Last Friday night I was waiting for the last 25a on Aston Quay. Three other buses drew up (mix of 66/25b etc) except the 25b didn’t actually stop, even though a guy was frantically waving his arm at the driver. Again, lack of awareness….It’s a PUBLIC service.Some drivers are just downright unhelpful - they draw away from stops leaving people who have run for the bus behind even though the bus hasn’t actually pulled off yet - and the bus often nearly empty. That’s just mean and doesn’t do much to promote Dublin Bus.
——-
Catherine
show details 30/11/2010
Dear Paul
After getting the bus from Superquinn namely 25a for the last two weeks both to and from work, I can only say that who ever decided to take the bus service probably back to the 1970’s needs to be give his/her P45. As an ex 25x customer I am disgusted that I am know having to leave home 30 mins early to take a bus ride of 1hr and 10mins into the city to get to work for 8.30. As for coming home its hit and miss when you will get a 25a from dawson street passed 5.00 pm I waited 35 mins last night for a 25a as 4 25b’s passed me by.
Clearly the person or people that made such changes to the bus service certainly do not use public transport to get to work and/or they want to make such a shambles of the bus service that they sell it off to a private investor!!!!! The latter would be of my opinion.
A disgusted passenger.
————
Brian
show details 30/11/2010
Hi Paul,
thanks for your text the 25b bus seems to be running fine,Just one major problem its still going through Foxborough,couple of problems i noted.Firstly the roads through Foxborough and earlsfort
have not been treated,the bus has to travel very slowly on this part of its route.And another point that
should have been raised is that people in Foxborough can walk to the outer ring road in less than 5 mins
and people in Earlsfort can walk to the pennyhill in the same time.The fact is that that both 25a/b buses
should be using the outer ring road.
Thanks Brian
————-
Subject: FW: Lucan Bus Routes 25a/b/x - URGENT
Importance: High
Hi
Further to the below, I would advise that the situation is now critical. It is now becoming a health and safety issue at the bus stops as frustrated commuters try to push their way on to the buses. Yesterday at the Penny Hill at approx 7.45am, 2 buses did not stop because they were full and there was a surge by over 50 commuters to get onto the 3rd bus that came along. That bus was filled instantaneously, so much so, it went by the next bus-stop without stopping. Therefore if you were a commuter further down Ballyowen Rd, you would have watched 3 full buses fly by with little hope of getting on.
There are just not enough buses on the route. The children can’t even be the problem because the buses seem to be full regardless.
I urge you to reconsider the changes. It is hard enough to make the commute daily without having this lack of service to contend to.
Appreciate your urgent reply.
Regards,
Ciara
——————-
Conroy,
show details 30/11/2010
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your text. Must say that I really do miss the 25x which came from grifeen and went out to the n4 via superquinn. I’ve tried and 25a and 25b at this stage and both add considerable time to my journey both in and out each day. I’ve have also found on more than one occasion last week that especially in the evening they come together and then there is a gap of up to 15 mins before the next one (and that was before the bad weather started). On the way into town in the morning the bus is full before it gets to the penny hill and we leave huge crowds of people at the stops so I’m lucky that I get on at finnstown. It still baffles me why the three 25x buses in the morning via superquinn were cancelled as they were always full and must have eased some of the congestion on the other route. Would love to see them back!
———————
Stephen to customercomment, me, info
show details 25/11/2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am on the 25a route and I have to say that your new 25a service has not improved. The reduction from 64 buses (Mon to Fri) to 45 and a reduction from 67 to 35 buses (Sat) and a regular off peak 30 min wait between buses is not an improvement and is an obvious cost saving excercise at the expense of your customers.
Today I got on a 25a bus at Merrion Sq at 3.15pm, I have the ticket showing a 25a. Somewhere between Merrion Sq and Griffeen the bus changed to a 25b which I only discoverd when the bus turned left at the Griffeen roundabout in the direction of Adamstown. Can you please advise if this is a new and improved feature of the new 25a just so I can be aware in future and take the necessary action. Another person had to exit at the next stop who had also got on a 25a. The bus had obviously changed number when the new driver got on at Aston Quay, without telling anyone!!!
Also, can you please ask your bus drivers to leave at the times advertised on the Aston Quay time table, last night both the 25b and the 25a left 3 minutes before they were supposed to. This may not sound like a long time but if you miss the 25a its a regular 30min wait (off peak).
—————-
Karen to me
show details 07/12/2010
Dear Paul
I received your newsletter the other day and note that Dublin Bus will be reviewing the new services from Lucan. My children go to school in Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada (opposite the sports and leisure centre) and my childminder collects them using public transport. Changes in the timtable mean that although the school days ends at 14.30 they just miss the 14.25 service and have to wait between half and hour and 40 minutes for the next 25a. This was not a problem before the changes.
With young children and in this weather this is causing problems. While I appreciate that not everyone can get what they want from a service that has to cater for all I do think that the end of a school day is a key moment for public transport. Even if the 14.25 left 5-7 minutes later it would provide a valuable service to the school and those collecting children.
We are constantly reminded to use public transport or walk thereby easing traffic congestion around the school and promoting healthier and greener habits but as we live in Hermitage the walk is a little far for the kids at this stage. As it stands I will have to give the childminder my car to collect the kids.
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. I will get on to Dublin Bus myself - if you have any tips on who I should contact please let me know.
Karen
———————
Dawn to paultd
show details 08/12/2010
Hi Paul,
I am hoping you can help the people of Lucan with the new bus routes. The new changes made to the buses going to Lucan are not working at all. Coming in in the morning, the buses are full before they even reach Foxborough leaving so many people at Eurospar and all along that road to Woodys without being able to get on a bus. I am at the start of the bus route so could normally get a seat but now by the time it reaches the fourth stop, nearly all of the seats downstairs are gone. This is fine for me but not for the many people who pay their fare to stand all the way into town in a cramped bus or who don’t even get near the bus. Once the bus gets packed, you can’t see where you are and when you need to get off, have to fight through the throngs of people standing on the bus.
On the way home, the bus stops were changed. They were separated from the 66s and 67s. People who lived in Palmerstown had a choice of buses where the bus stops were and could opt which bus they got on. Now they are all waiting at the 25a and 25b stops as they are the more regular buses. This puts a lot of pressure on the bus route and makes it much harder for people who rely on these buses to get on the bus or get a seat when they get on.
I have found since the route changed that waiting at Aston Quay, the bus is already packed by the time it comes around. We are either standing all the way until the Penny Hill or we cannot get near the bus at all. As I am pregnant and can’t stand for too long in heat, I have had to find alternative ways to get home. I have walked from the IFSC to Suffolk St to try to catch the bus home from there, it is a long enough walk before beginning the long bus journey. Even from there, the bus was quite full and I could only get a seat upstairs. (I have also seen four 67X buses stop at Suffolk St one after the other with two of them being empty!) I have also gotten a 66 or 67a to Palmerstown to try to catch the 25a from there where I wont be standing for too long before the people get off at the Penny Hill.
I have spoken to many people who work similar hours to me and travel the same route and they are also having the same problems, having to get two buses in the place of one bus to try to get home after a long days work. I have been listening to people chatting about the new routes and nobody seems satisfied if they are travelling at peak times.
Dublin Bus have put the people of Lucan at a great disadvantage. I moved to Lucan as the bus routes were so good with all of the 25x’s at peak times and now after these changes, I wish I lived somewhere else! I would ask you please to see if Dublin bus could bring the 25xs back at peak times and look at moving the bus routes back to Pearse St. I got on a 67 yesterday that I think came from Merrion and stopped at Pearse so could the 25a’s be brought back to Pearse St also? The current situation is not sustainable whatsoever.
Thanks,
Dawn
————————————
Drastic Deterioration in quality of service to Lucan
sean to networkdirect, me, info
show details 08/12/2010
To whom it may concern,
I wish to express my dissatisfaction at the farce that has become the 25a/25b service to Lucan. I board the bus at Willsbrook in the mornings and currently at Aston Quay in the evenings.
According to the timetables I should have to wait no more than 5 minutes for a bus at peak times.
I have waited at least 20 minutes in the mornings for buses to arrive and of course because of the delay they are full when they get to Willsbrook and just cruise past, hence the morning wait can be a lot longer by the time a bus arrives with the capacity to serve the stop. Needless to say there can be 40/50 people waiting to board and you can imagine the carnage that ensues trying to board.
In the evenings I have waited 20/30 minutes for a bus to arrive. Due to these delays there can be up to 50 people waiting again like in the mornings it is survival of the fittest trying to board. I don’t know how an elderly person or someone with a child supposed to board safely.
There was an inspector for the first few evenings but recently there is nobody to help load the buses or explain the delays.
From my point of view I think these issues are a result of:
Sending the 2 buses on pretty much the same route in the mornings,this needs to change and serious consideration needs to be given to possibly starting some buses further a long the route i.e Griffeen or even Penny Hill. This will ensure the final stops are serviced adequately.
Foxborough seems to be a bottle neck as some mornings 2 or 3 buses arrive together, they are obviously getting stuck somewhere. This was pointed out many times at a meeting I was at but dismissed as scare mongering by the Dublin Bus representatives who insisted that a consistent travel time could be achieved.
The buses need to start in the evening from a more central location as there seems to be an issue with them getting to the quays in a consistent time. Again there has been numerous occasions when 2 or more buses arrived together.
The post-consultation phase decision to change the city centre terminus was ill thought out and has had disastrous results. The timing of the decision did not give anyone the opportunity to raise any concerns over it. This is contrary to the whole ethos of the network direct initiative where the public are supposed to be able to give their input at all stages.
Previously people in East Lucan could avail of the 66 and 67 service as all the termini were located together in the city centre and shared the same stops en route, now that this has changed people of East Lucan are only using the 25a/25b route along with probably a lot of 66 and 67 passengers who now take the quicker route out of the city and change for example at Liffey Valley. This means the demand for the 25a/25b buses is unprecedented. It is pointless walking to the Clarence Hotel stop where all buses serve as there is little or no chance of being able to board. I don’t recall anywhere in the consultation phase that it ever suggested that these routes would be separated in the city centre.
I believe the service is being reviewed in January, I was at a meeting hosted by Paul Gogarty where I believe Dublin bus gave a commitment to review the service quickly if there were issues. This needs to happen immediately. Dublin Bus needs to hold its hands up and admit they got it very wrong and address these issues. They need to reinstate the original routes that were selected and address the issue of the location of the terminus in the city centre.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this
Regards
Sean
————-
Hi Paul,
I would just like to update you with the latest on the 25 bus route debacle. Please see transcript below of a mail I am circulating to as wide an audience as I can get.
Thanks for your continued support in this matter.
Kind regards,
Daryl
“The new service is just atrocious. Ignoring the days recently where the buses would genuinely have been affected by the weather, there are huge gaps between buses in the evening. I get the bus from Aston Quay and I have the following recurring observations;
There are not enough buses to deal with the volume of people at peak time both morning and evening
I’d estimate that there is on average 20 minutes between buses in the evening, sometimes as much as 30 - 40 minutes. The ‘bus every 5 minutes’ that DB promised is not delivering - it has never delivered in fact. This due to two reasons - there are not enough buses on the route to achieve a target of a bus every five minutes (simple maths) and the last minute changing of the terminus to Merion Square means that the bus has to come across town at the mercy of traffic. Surely the boffins in DB should have taken this into consideration? It’s frightening that it seems they didn’t
The buses often times arrive on Aston Quay practically full, often with people already standing. It sometimes takes me 2 or 3 attempts to actually get on a bus. There are always 20+ people left at the stop who can’t get on - which obviously swells by more commuters arriving for the next bus - which invariably doesn’t arrive for 10, 15, 20 minutes so the cycle continues
I used to get home every evening at around 6 o’c. Now I get home closer to 7 every evening. Added to the fact I have to leave half an hour earlier in the morning to get into work for the same time as the previous service this new one has replaced, this is a serious increase in my door to door commute. I only live 9 miles from my office so this is a very high proportionate increase. It must thus be the same for other commuters
By the time the 25B meets the outer ring road (which under the original proposal back in April it was supposed to use) it is usually two thirds - three quarters full. If at that point the bus turned left down the ring road as it was initially meant to do, this would give the people at the stops from the Penny Hill down to the stop at Hermitage Park a chance of getting on the bus. Currently, there are large amounts of people being left at those stops who are unable to get on the bus as the buses are full after going through Foxborough and Earlsfort so don’t stop. Again, there clearly are not enough buses
I already made the point in my original email below that the 6 minutes that Dublin Bus stated as the additional time to route the 25B through Foxborough is totally erroneous based on useless data gathered by them. How can they not be familiar with their own routes? A large number of commuters told them before this new route was launched that 6 minutes to get through Foxborough/Earlsfort was way off the mark, which has proved to be the case.
Dublin already had a public transport service which was behind that which is available in most European Cities - I have used these extensively over the years so can say this based on fact. What Dublin Bus have now done is take the service back 25 years, pre the introduction of the original Express routes.
What we had previously worked infinitely better than what we’re saddled with now. I can only go by personal experience but given I saw the same faces each day, they would likely agree:
In the morning, there were 4 25X’s that came down Griffeen Avenue and out the N4 past SuperQuinn. These buses were generally full by the time they’d pull away from the stop at Hillcrest. Sometimes, the bus would be full and people at Hillcrest couldn’t get on but this was only an occasional occurrence. These four buses were efficient in that they were full (often over subscribed with standing room only) and direct. Door to door my journey to work was 45 minutes (compared to the allegedly new improved service, I am now an hour and 10 minutes on average in the morning)
In the evening, I knew that approximately four or five 25X’s would pass my stop on Westmoreland Street between 5:10 and 5:25. Often times, the first couple would arrive very full or there would be many people at the stop so I knew I could wait for the next one, knowing it would come soon and that I’d get a seat. Door to door journey time was an hour (compared to the ‘new improved’ service I am averaging an hour and 20 minutes)
The current service is so bad that I am seriously thinking of getting a 66X, getting off on the N4 and walking 20 minutes from there home. So I’ll be avoiding using the Lucan bus service and using the Leixlip/Maynooth one instead. How ridiculous is that?
These are my personal experiences but I would be sure others are experiencing the same. I would be very confident that you will find no commuter who feels these changes have been beneficial. In fact, they will feel that there has been a very significant deterioration in service.
How can the following be justified and who can oppose this stupidity and stubbornness on our behalf?
There are not enough buses to service the commuters
Why are so many commuters left stranded in Lucan in the mornings?
Why is it that the 25 stop on Aston Quay has by some considerable distance the largest volume of commuters at this stop and not enough buses to service all of these people?
Why is the 25A/B moved up to Merion Square so that the bus is full by the time it hits the City Centre?
Why aren’t there Dublin Bus Inspectors at all times at all the key stops monitoring what’s going on? What sort of a way is it to introduce a fundamentally different service and not monitor it properly?
Lucan has no rail link (Adamstown is not Lucan). Lucan only has the bus to rely on so why has this already inadequate service been rendered further useless by these Network Direct changes?
Why has the 25A/B terminus been moved to Merion Square? This is delaying the buses as they get stuck in traffic through town and are arriving at Aston Quay (at the Heart of the City Centre) full
Why are Dublin Bus so against having diversions within the same bus route? Why can’t some buses start on Aston Quay? Why does the 25B have to go through Foxborough/Earslfort thereby overlapping the 25A and flying in the face of what Network Direct is supposed to achieve? The inflexibility with which they have constructed these new bus routes has crippled the service
How many less buses are on the 25 route at peak time morning and evening?
Why won’t Dublin Bus publish the stats for those in favour of and against the route changes?
Why isn’t the bus service structured to prioritise servicing the rush hour commuters in the morning and evening? The recovery of the country relies on commuters travelling to and from work and helping get our crippled country back on it’s feet. It’s simple business sense - the rush hour commuters are the main users of the bus, it’s main customer. This is no way to look after your best customer. The service should be structured first and foremost to fully service the rush hour commuter who would account for what, 70% of the daily bus usage? We are being further demoralised by the serious deterioration in the bus service
Dublin Bus can get away with these changes because there is no other alternative for Lucan in terms of competition or a rail option so they know that we, the rush hour commuters have to put up with it as we have no other option
Why aren’t management in Dublin Bus accountable for their actions? They’ve made a total mess of these route changes. They have shown a lack of understanding of their own routes. They have got fundamental information completely wrong. How can this be allowed?
The new ‘service’ is utterly disgraceful and inadequate and I can’t sit back and accept it. Life is incredibly difficult right now without this farce. I can only hope others are making their voices heard too. I would be amazed if they are not given the anger that is tangible (and audible) at the bus stops each evening (and morning from what I can see out the window as the bus goes by without stopping at packed stops while still in Lucan).
Dublin Bus are not engaging and are just digging in hoping the storm will pass. The new ‘service’ is just plain wrong and we should not allow it . It needs to be changed either:
To reinstate the original service this replaced OR
Apply the originally proposed 25B route - i.e. not to route through Foxborough/Earlsfort and not to have it’s City Centre terminus at Merion Square. It should be at Pearce Street where it used to be and also not to reduce the number of buses as this is counter productive
The level of incompetence being shown by Dublin Bus officials should not be tolerated. Specifically regarding these route changes;
The estimated time through Foxborough/Earlsfort is completely wrong. The commuters told Dublin Bus pre launch that their time of 6 minutes was erroneous, yet Dublin Bus officials stood by it. However, it seems they timed the route without taking the fundamental issue of having to stop to pick up passengers into the equation - a pretty basic error considering it was meant to be timing a public transport route!
The timetable on Aston Quay as I said in the mail below is pure fantasy - it in no way resembles what is happening in reality. How is it acceptable that the custodians of our public transport system can produce timetables which are so way off the mark? In the UK, there is uproar when a train is 2 minutes late for example. I routinely see no bus for 30 minutes on Aston Quay in the evening.
Dublin Bus stated we would have a 25A or B every 5 minutes at peak time. This is way off the mark and has never delivered
How can such failure be acceptable?
If Dublin Bus have to raise their fares I am willing to accept this if it means we have a bus service that works. The current fare is €2:20. Cutting through all the spin about how great these changes are according to Dublin Bus, let’s not kid ourselves. It’s a cost cutting exercise pure and simple. Re-instate the original service and raise the fare to €2.50 - €3 if needs be. That’s still reasonable value when you compare to the cost of driving.
I would urge you to help and get changes instigated immediately. This is a high priority item for hundreds, possibly thousands of people in Lucan and surrounding areas.
Kind regards,
Daryl
———
maura to me
show details 14/12/2010
Hello Paul
I am on the 25a route but can walk to the 25b stop as well, it is further but not too much. This is just as well as either bus on its own would be a very bad service.
Might I just say that during the snow the bus drivers were excellent and no doubt risked their lives to get people to work.
The two new routes are not great at all. They are very infrequent which leads to them being crowded and slower. The fact that they bypass chapelizod is good but this is only compensating for an infrequent service and crowded buses, it has not made journey times any better really.
As you can see I work in a big company in Ballsbridge, I used to be at my desk by 8am using a good 25a service. The service now before 7 is not so good, worse than the old 25a route and as I say the crowds make it slower, I find it hard to get now for 8.
The service before 7am needs to be a little better, even one extra bus on the A route where there is no bus between 6.35 and 7.00 would make a difference.
The evening service on both the 25a and 25b is not good at all. They are certainly not at 5 or 10 minute intervals as advertised, it is so hard to get home now especially in cold weather. 20 minutes is a common enough wait before 7, and you could be waiting longer.
Again as far as I can see the weekend service is probably worse than the old 25a route but that doesn’t impact me much and i have no great experiece.
Thank you for talking peoples concerns on board.
—————
Alison to info,
show details 14/12/2010
To whom it may concern,
I am writing in complaint of the above and I use the word “service” lightly. I have waited until the weather cleared to make allowances for the appalling service that has occurred in recent weeks and must now lodge a formal complaint as there has been no improvement.
I live in Arthur Griffith Park and used to avail of the 25x service to travel to work for my 8.30 start and then the 25a route home. I was aware of some changes in the route but not of the changes in the terminal and the bus stops in the city centre.
In the morning between 7.30 and 7.45(2 buses), as I am the 3rd stop on the bus, I used to get on and have a choice of seats. Now, there are a lot more people on the bus but of course, I still get a seat. The same cannot be said for people further down the route as the bus usually gets full long before the stop at lidl and then goes past the other bus stops. A large part of this is schoolchildren who then get off at woodies, thus delaying full paying working adults from getting to work. One would think with the bus being full so early on that it would then get to town quicker, especially with not going through chapelizod -one would be wrong. Due to the bus being packed closer than a tin of sardines with people practically sitting on the drivers lap, the drivers are going slower and each and every stop takes several minutes for people to fight their way off of the bus. Then, due to you moving stops I have an additional 10 minute walk when I get off.
However, my main concern is getting home and this is where I have been let down thoroughly by your company. I work in Georges Quay in the city centre and finish work at 4.30. I used to walk 5 minutes to pearse street to get the bus at 4.40 and as it was the first stop I always got a seat. Now, you have moved the terminus to Merrion Square and the closest stop is Aston Quay. After a ten minute walk, when I arrive, the entire path is thronged with people with no elements of a queue whatsoever. Thus far, I have attempted to get the 25a home on numerous occasions and only once gotten a seat(yesterday). You have allowed 10 minutes for the buses to get from merrion square to Aston quay which is ludicrous and unless there was no traffic, not possible. When the buses come they are already full and as most people can get either the 25a or 25b(I can only get the 25a) everyone pushes forward like there was free money in attempts to fight there way on. During the snow on 2 occasions, I got on and stood at the driver(about 2 people got on with me) and stood practically all the way home -several people were in distress and it is quite awkward as well as unsafe for people to be getting on and off the bus at every stop. A friend of mine is pregnant and almost fainted so now she walks 30 minutes to get the bus at suffolk street where it is almost full anyway and she is lucky to get a seat upstairs. Yesterday I was lucky in a way. Having waited 25 minutes(not the 10 cie state) a 25 came followed by a 25b, so having endured the pushing and shoving while people got on those buses, when the 25a came there were a lot of seats, unfortunately there were more people than seats and due to the pushing the busman could not pull in at the stop where I was waiting and just pulled in at the side where the people who had only arrived all got on the bus. I had been talking to an elderly lady and had tried to assist and reassure her as she also could only get the 25a, she would not have got on the bus without my assistance and me having to push people out of the way which I normally would not have done.
So I will not even be attempting to get the 25a again until the service is improved. The rest of the time in the snow I have been getting a 66/67 as there service is not changed in any way and in fact the buses fly past the many people waiting in vain for a 25a/b. I then get off at liffey valley and wait for a 25a and each time it is still full but I have managed to get on and stand. So, a simple journey now results in an additional walk and a lot of waiting and 2 buses before I get home.
I do not understand why the 25a and 25b are running practically the same route into lucan(which is why most people can get both and why the first bus that gets to stop gets full) and I do not know why on earth they are both going to Merrion Square -have you removed/changed a bus that used to service merrion square? Only the 25x’s which were mornings and evenings used to go to that part of town.
A solution to these problems would be to reinstate the X buses or to have only some buses going to Merrion Square with some leaving direct from Aston Quay EG: like the X’s only rush hour buses going to Merrion Square or only one of the buses a or b going to Merrion Square. I also feel that there is too much of a gap between the stops in the city centre. I also have no idea why your website is now trying to trick people by having several bus time tables for the same route eg for 25a it says From Merrion Square(which is first stop) and From Aston Quay -firstly, no bus has ever gotten to Aston quay at the published time and secondly it is leading people to believe it is the first stop when it actually arrives full.
I have discussed this with friends/strangers and they are of similar opinion to me and having spoken to some drivers, they too are frustrated with the new routes and having to face angry customers.
I appreciate that this is a long winded email but I have bided my time to allow for the service to improve and it has not and I have discussed it with many other people who probably wont bother to complain.
As it stands, you have added 20 minutes to my journey with the additional walk and taken years off my life with the stress of having to physically fight to get onto a bus or get two buses for a straightforward journey.
I sincerely hope you admit your mistakes and do something to improve this situation -I am at my wits end and am arriving at work and returning home in a bad mood which is affecting everything.
Alison
———-
Terry to ray.coyne, networkdirect, paul.gogarty,
show details 16/12/2010
To whom it Concerns;
Before you started the new 25a and 25b bus service in Lucan ye were warned of certain scenarios that would happen but ye choose to ignore them. Now the 6 week review is up, I hope you will make the necessary changes for passengers getting to work on time and their safety.
- The 7 min travel time through Foxborough for the 25b is not realistic at all during peak hours, ie 7-9am and 5-7pm. Ye must of done your test run without stopping at any stops and getting green lights at all the junctions. To be honest it is takes close to 15-20 mins to get thru there.
- I get on the bus at Griffeen but I have to get the bus a full 25 mins earlier, to get me in to work on time which is in Eastpoint Business Park. This is very unfair as means spending less time with my young family.
- When the 25b reaches Willsbrook, there is no room for the commuters there to get on the bus, the queues are very long and the bus does be full to the max and beyond. People are pushed onto the bus like it’s a train in India and it’s a major safety concern. There is way above the amount that should be standing and no one can move to let people off. And to make things worse, when the bus hits the N4 and further the drivers continue to let people push on. This is something I believe people(and I will) should raise with Health and Safety if it’s not addressed by January.
- If you route the 25b down the link road to Willsbrook bypassing Foxborough the above would not happen, this is the most common sense approach to take.
- Ashton Quay is an accident waiting to happen, it is so dangerous and overcrowded there. First of all you have the 78A I think, pulling in there to park, so when the 25a/25b comes along the mass crowds of people have to rush to another spot to get the bus. Someone will end up in front of a bus there. Might be worth separating these two bus stops for safety reasons.
- From 5.45-6.30pm on more than one occasion, only one 25b arrives at 6.30, while 5 25a’s arrive. Can you please explain this? I rang the garage and the main office and no one could give me an answer and just kept throwing other phone numbers at me.
- Also it may be of benefit to have the inspector that was at Pearse St for the 25x’s to be at the new stop for the 25’s now, as he/she can track down where the buses are for the people when they don’t come.
- Could you also maybe get the inspectors that get on the bus to count numbers, to talk to people on the bus and get the feedback from us paying commuters.
I hope ye really do make changes to the bus service as at the moment it’s an accident that’s waiting to happen.
Thanks you for reading this email and Hope you will actually reply to me this time.
Regards
Terry
——————
Julie to info, me, info
show details 17/12/2010
To whom it may concern,
I am emailing to express my disappointment with your 25 bus service.
I live in Dodsboro Lucan and yesterday evening I waited at the 25 bus
stop in Dodsboro for the 6.30pm bus. It never came. I was at the bus
stop from 6.20pm to 6.50pm, when I then had to give up and get a lift to
another bus stop at Woodies to get a bus into town. The result was I was
late for a dinner, and standing in the very cold weather, waiting for a
bus that never came. For myself, this was just an annoyance but for
someone older waiting on the bus, this is unacceptable, especially in
the Winter months.
Could you explain to me why the bus never came? I have also heard
reports from my sister and mother that the same has happened to them
with the 25 service, but coming from town to Lucan.
I notice that the frequency of the 25 was reduced slightly recently and
it now is timetabled to come hourly; this would not be so bad if we
could rely on the bus to do so.
This service is very unsatisfactory. I would appreciate your response in
this matter.
Yours sincerely
Julie
Lucan
Co. Dublin
———
Mark to info, info
show details 30/12/2010 (11 days ago)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you to make an official complaint about the repositioning of the 151 bus terminus on the Balgaddy Road in the middle of our estate here in Foxborough, Lucan.
Since the 22nd November Dublin Bus have made sweeping changes to the West Dublin routes. The stated reason the 151 route was changed and the terminus moved to Foxborough was that it is to be the link bus for the 25A and B routes which also run through our estate.
Our issues centre on the safety concerns of residents, motorists, cyclists and the hundreds of school children that use this small stretch of road on a daily basis. We also have concerns over noise and air pollution with the terminus sitting in the middle of residental properties, some of which are occupied by people with health issues; my own partner is recovering from cancer and my daughter has asthma. There are also concerns about the litter that has been accumulating at the terminus as there is no bin provided.
We recently had a meeting with a Mr. Derry O’Leary, a strategic planner within Dublin Bus. I explained to him all of our concerns which he summarily dismissed out of hand. According to Mr. O’Leary, he can see no safety issues putting a terminus on a two lane road. We showed him an alternative placing, 100 yards away, around the corner on the relatively new stretch of road, The Outer Ring Road, with a dedicated bus lane, which caters for one single route in the Dublin Bus fleet, the 151. Again he has dismissed this, stating that it is MORE dangerous to move the terminus here. I will admit to being astonished at both these statements when, as we were discussing the situation, several children alighted from a school coach on the Balgaddy Road and were nearly knocked down crossing the road running for a parked 151. There are no traffic lights, traffic wardens or zebra crossings between the stops as they stand now. There are lights and a Pedestrian Island at the alternative site on the junction with the Outer Ring Road. When asked about a litter bin he confirmed that Dublin Bus were not responsible for providing these items at their stops.
I am including all of you as recipients because I wish it to be on official record that it is the opinion of the residents that live in this area and use these roads on a daily basis that a major incident will occur because of the current layout. We sincerely hope we are wrong, and that a repeat of the tragedy in Carpenterstown will not happen here. We reject totally the assumption by an O’Connell St official that there are no safety issues for any of the road users. And that there are no health issues from buses idling their engines from early morning to 11 at night. This is also in contravention to Dublin Bus’ own policy of switching engines off within housing estates, yet despite numerous complaints, drivers continue to ignore their own directives.
I am not sure whether a Health and Safety Report was ever done up, or whether an Enviromental Impact Study ever done. If there wasnt one, maybe one should be considered. We have requested the documentation from South Dublin County Council and the Garda Transportation Office regarding the authorisation to allow the terminus be positioned here.
We believe that what we are requesting shouldnt be difficult or put Dublin Bus or their drivers out. All we want is for the terminus to be moved 150 yards around a corner to a stop that has a shelter for pedestrians and where buses can leave their engines on so drivers wont freeze. We dont feel this is unreasonable, and its new position could in fact prevent accidents and save lives.
Your responses to our concerns would be appreciated as this is something we all would like to see resolved within a reasonable timeframe, and see no reason why it couldnt be. If you need to talk to us to discuss this further, I have provided my contact details below.
Thank You for your attention,
Kind Regards,
Mark
——————
Mark
show details 30/12/2010 (11 days ago)
Dear Dub Bus Customer Comment Line,
My name is Mark, living in Foxborough Estate, Lucan, directly beside your new 151 bus route terminus.
I have just had a heated discussion with one of your drivers, Tony, about turning off his engine within the estate past 11 O’Clock tonight. The noise from the engines wake and frighten our young children as well as my cancer recovering partner, not to mention the possible air pollution from running an engine for close on 20 minutes.
He point blankly refused stating he needed to keep warm, and that he was not going to freeze in his bus just for me and the other residents. He also questioning what kind of life I must have to be wasting time asking for engines to be turned off.
It is my understanding from conversations with Derry O’Leary, Terry Fitzgerald, Gareth Quinn and the control room of Dubin Bus, that drivers are obliged to turn off their engines once they reach their destination within a housing estate.
Tony has not been the only one who has not been turning their engines off. Since the implimentation of Dublin Bus’ new West Dublin route changes I have made numerous calls to get engines of these buses turned off from 6 in the morning till 11 at night. I was unable to get through to any of the usual numbers tonite, which is why I went to ask personally.
It is unacceptable that my family has their nightly and morning sleep continually affected.
I would like to know whether the statements I have been told by your strategic manager and garage managers are correct. And if so, what action are Dublin Bus going to take for this ongoing situation. It is only 5 weeks since the new routes and timetables have been brought in and already they are effecting the quality of my families life.
Your attention to this matter would be appreciated,
Regards,
Mark
————
Avril to info, me
show details 09:37 (5 minutes ago)
I would be very grateful if you would ensure your drivers are aware of the new route changes, the 25A I (eventually….but that’s another story) boarded at Willsbrook this morning servered Chapelizod village. Although the driver was informed of the error she proceeded to serve every stop along the entire route into town and although she could have turned right at Islandbrige to get back on route she proceeded through the heavy traffic at Conyngham Road and Parkgate Street. I like many others on the bus were late for work as a result, there was no apology or acknowlegement of the error.
Kind regards
Avril
——
On facebook…
Don
I had go back on the bike,its hard goin,i e mailed dublin bus many times but no reply.they boast that they are improving the service,and its the other way around,there timetables are all over the place i’m from hanstead.
i use adamsrtown bus to go to foxboro then to long mile road to work,,but coming home is the problem,151 to foxboro @7pm waiting in foxboro were the flood lights dont work,and gangs of youths are passen by,and i’d be waiting 20-30 mins for 25 b,its a nightmare.
thanks for not ignoring me,and im sorry for starting off without introducen myself,,im just sick of it,,before the changes it was an excllent service
now i have to get two buses anywhere i need to go .
—-
