The first signs of things starting to go wrong at DB (BAC in the Gaeilge) was the creation of these once-or-twice-per-day routes (examples include 15D/E/F, 46D/E, 117, 118 and the like, plus reducing buses like the 86 to twice-daily runs). They have this 51D “Expresso” route now (btw I hate Expresso more than CitySpeed), which runs what, twice daily, and on a route to the City Centre that has nothing to do with the traditional 51 artery, going via the N4 instead of the N7. Not only is this route rather superfluous, but it is mis-numbered—would not a route travelling to/from Clondalkin via the N4 fit in more with the route 26 designation or something? Not to mention that the creation of all these routes leads to greater and greater confusion about which bus to take—it becomes true pot luck.
No wonder there are still loads of cars on the road. I may be visiting Dublin sometime in the near future, and guess what—I will have to break down and hire a car again, since the bus service has become too convoluted and unreliable for me to trust. And I sure don’t trust the reliability of the 51D if I ever have to visit Clondalkin perchance…
BUSRAGE Discussions » Timetables and Routes
Wherefore Route 51D…?
(7 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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Xpresso routes are very popular, just look at any xpresso route at peak times, the 51D has been running succssfully for some time now - i doubt Dublin Bus would run such a route if it were not profitable.
It ends up in the same area as the 51B so i don't see how people are going to be confused... sure the 51A has been operating for years without any major problem and that runs on the other side of the city.
Im sure the people of Clondalkin ar glad of the option of having the 51D.
[posted by: Pat]Posted 5 years ago # -
i doubt Dublin Bus would run such a route if it were not profitable
And here I thought that public transportation was not about turning profits? That is the wrong focus.
Im sure the people of Clondalkin ar glad of the option of having the 51D
No…what the people of Clondalkin are generally glad of are nearby car dealerships, if the traffic jam-ups on the N4 and N7 are any indication. If DB/BAC (plus IE, since Clondalkin also now has rail service) were allowed by the demagogues in government to not worry about profit so much, we would see far better bus service and fewer automobiles…Posted 5 years ago # -
What???
Im not sure where your argument is going but you've missed my point in that the 51D is a busy route therefore people are obviously not confused by the route and yes it must be making a profit as i doubt Dublin Bus would run an empty bus to clondalkin at peak hours every evening, you've already mentioned how you hate xpresso routes for some reason but unless you use these services you won't understand their benefits.
You seem to have a chip on your shoulder in general about Dublin Bus, out of interest do you have anything positive to say about them?
[posted by: Pat]Posted 5 years ago # -
but you've missed my point in that the 51D is a busy route
No, I am sure that it is…after all, you can always jam commuters onto a bus “route” that runs but once per day. Also, since it runs on the N4 instead of the N7, should it not perhaps be an extension of route 26 or something? Quite confusing to the average person who does not use the bus, hence making driving more attractive.
and yes it must be making a profit as i doubt Dublin Bus would run an empty bus to clondalkin at peak hours every evening
Specious argument—even extra local buses would attract commuters at peak hours, and to put things in true perspective, look at what DB have done to the 51 route itself. DB spent extra money for no reason to create a route 51D (yes, every time you add another route to the database, it’s extra money spent) when they could have re-expanded the original route 51.
Also, DB is supposed to be a non-profit public service, therefore they really should concentrate on providing superior service within costs, instead of this inferior mess they have been brewing, which has resulted in so many automobile purchases and Dublin’s current state of traffic woes.
you've already mentioned how you hate xpresso routes for some reason
What I mentioned was that I hate the nomenclature, which means the names that DB use—they can’t even stick to one name for the services, changing from “CitySpeed” to “Xpresso” within about a half-decade or so. Every time they do a name-change for a service, they spend extra money to do so—just like spending extra money on graphic artists and consultants every time they want to change the paint scheme. (Speaking of paint schemes, Bus Éireann né CIE Provincial Bus have used the white-on-red colour scheme for several decades while the city bus services had the inordinate need to change paint schemes every decade or less—what on earth was behind that?)
You seem to have a chip on your shoulder in general about Dublin Bus, out of interest do you have anything positive to say about them?
Yes, but all unrelated to route 51D. They took the alpha suffixes off routes 38 and 77 (but added them back on later); they resurrected route 2 (but didn't thence make a distinction between buses serving Belfield and buses serving St. John’s Church in Sandymount using the route numbers 2 and 3); they resurrected the 72 in the form of route 172 (but didn’t give it the frequency of its predecessor); other than that, with their massive route cuts and creation of once-or-twice-per-day routes to make things so confusing that people buy cars, I would say things are pretty negative on DB’s part. I suggest you read some of the complaints in other threads that date back some years, because I am not the only person that holds a negative view of DB.Posted 5 years ago # -
There is higher demand for buses at peak hours which is why there are the xpresso routes with only 1 or 2 departures, the 51D is there to boost the loadings of the 51B for those travelling direct to Clondalkin, i personally don't see any problem with that - people get home quicker and surely thats good, you could argue if the people in Bawnogue saw the 26 running through the area that would be confusing but i would think 51D running alongside a 51B is a better option as for the N4 and N7 point you made, this route does not stop at any stops between Aston Quay and Dunawley in the evenings as it is an express so what does it matter as to what route it takes so long as its quick?
"with their massive route cuts and creation of once-or-twice-per-day routes to make things so confusing that people buy cars"
If you check the recent stats. you will see that bus travel has increased in Dublin and if im not mistaken i think Dublin Bus was the only part of CIE to make a profit last year so you may want to check out how many of these people you mentioned who bought cars done so because of a bad bus service???
Out of interest what bus route do you use Al? Have you complained to DB at all regarding any complaints you have? If so what was the response?
[posted by: P]Posted 5 years ago # -
If you check the recent stats. you will see that bus travel has increased in Dublin and if im not mistaken i think Dublin Bus was the only part of CIE to make a profit last year
I suppose that you do not understand the manipulation behind these “lies, more lies and statistics” if I may be permitted to quote Churchill? Think about it—less trips, more “passengers” because they have to be squeezed onto fewer buses…
Dublin Bus made a surplus, not a profit—ideally, non-profit public service corporations do not profit from their operations. This surplus is only temporary; it will be replaced by more deficits as more people take to automobiles than ever, plus “creative accounting” gets exposed…Posted 5 years ago #
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