Dublin Bus
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| Bus Átha Cliath - Dublin Bus | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Private limited company by shares |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
| Area served | Republic of Ireland |
| Industry | Public transport |
| Parent | Coras Iompair Éireann |
| Website | Official site Dublin Bus |
Dublin Bus (Irish: Bus Átha Cliath [bˠʊsˠ ˈaːhə ˈclʲiə]) is a public transport operator in the Republic of Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of nearly 200 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is owned by the Irish Government. Dublin Bus operates the vast majority of bus services in Dublin but in recent years an increasing number of other bus companies have received licences to operate in Dublin from the Department of Transport.
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[edit] Background
Dublin Bus has 3,408 staff and 1,067 buses travelling nearly 60 million kilometres per annum (Source: "Dublin Bus Annual Report, 2004"). In 2004, Dublin Bus provided passengers with over 500,000 journeys per weekday, with the majority of these journeys occurring during rush hour.
Since the opening of the Luas tram system, Dublin Bus has lost approximately 30% of its passengers to the Tallaght (Red Line) and Sandyford (Green Line) Luas routes to the city centre.[citation needed]The planned Dublin Metro may also cause losses for the company.
[edit] Fares
Dublin Bus fares are generally calculated on a stage system based on distance travelled. There are several different levels of fares, which apply on most services. Certain routes (particularly Xpresso, see below) use a different fare system.
Dublin Bus follows an "exact fare - no change" policy on almost all buses for passengers who pay cash fares - to minimise the risk of staff being robbed, passengers must place the exact fare in coins (notes are not accepted as the counting machines in the garages cannot process them) in the fare box before the ticket is issued; in the case of overpayment a "change ticket" is issued which can only be exchanged for cash at the company's head office on O'Connell Street. The only exception are routes 747 and 748, the express routes to and from Dublin Airport, where with a minimum fare of €6, banknotes are accepted and change is given in cash.
There are several types of pre-paid tickets available, including:
- single day and multi-day tickets ("Ramblers"), some of which are sold in booklets as well as singly
- tickets corresponding to cash fares
- 90 minute tickets which allow unlimited travel (or more precisely the right to board as many buses as required) for 90 minutes (only available in booklets of 10)
- tickets valid on Dublin Bus and Iarnród Éireann or Luas or all three
All prepaid tickets must be validated in a machine by the door of the bus at the start of each journey.
Old age pensioners and certain other people are allow to travel free of charge; this is part of the national "Free Travel Pass"[1] system operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
Minimum fares are payable on some services in order to discourage passengers wishing to travel short distances from using seats which could be used by those who wish to travel longer distances. A standard fare (currently €50) is theoretically payable by those who evade payment of the full fare for the journey, but is rarely collected.
[edit] Routes
The main radial routes are focused upon Dublin's 15 Quality Bus Corridors which provide buses with daytime access to the city centre, often bringing commuters into the city faster than they could travel in cars (excluding walking time to bus stops and time waiting for buses).
Express buses (branded "Xpresso") operate on similar routes, but have a limited number of stops and a higher minimum fare.
Dublin Bus operates a "Nitelink" service of approximately 24 routes overnight between Monday and Saturday, with the greatest service frequency being on Friday and Saturday nights - special (higher) fares apply on Nitelink buses.
No "Park and Ride" services are available.
There is also a unique Ghost Bus Tour through some of the supposedly haunted places in the city.
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Double decker
| Class name | Body | Chassis | Introduced | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "RA" | Alexander R-type | Volvo Olympian | 1994–1996 | 133 |
| "RV" | Alexander R-type | Volvo Olympian | 1997–1999 | 315 |
| "AV" | Alexander ALX400 | Volvo B7TL | 2000–2005 | 447 |
| "AX" | Alexander ALX400 | Volvo B7TL | 2006 | 200 |
| "VT" | Alexander Dennis Enviro 500 | Volvo B9TL | 2005, 2007 | 70 |
| "DT" | Alexander ALX400 | Dennis Trident 2 | 2003 | 10 |
| "EV" | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | Volvo B9TL | 2007 | 50 |
50 more EV's are to be delivered in 2008.
[edit] Articulated buses
| Class name | Body | Chassis | Introduced | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "AW" | Wrightbus | Volvo B7LA | 2000 | 20 |
[edit] Single deckers
| Class name | Body | Chassis | Introduced | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "VL" | Alexander | Volvo B10L | 1997 | 4 |
[edit] Midibuses
| Class name | Body | Chassis | Introduced | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "WV" | Wright Crusader 2 | Volvo B6BLE | 1999–2000 | 50 |
[edit] Notes
| DT9, WV9/11 are withdrawn due to fire damage |
| There are still many RH class Olympians, in service on the Tours and School fleets. |
[edit] History and Preservation
As the vehicles become of age they have been withdrawn to make way for newer technology. Types of significance such as the Bombardier/GAC (Irish built) have been preserved by the National Transport Museum of Howth who house R1 (the first double decker service bus in Ireland).
Many ex-CIE types have been acquired for preservation by private preservationists, some of whom associated with the Transport Enthusiasts Club (TEC). The vehicles are garaged, restored and run by the owners without state funds and take part in films, television programs and in vintage rallys. One event was CIE60th. The 30th of October 2005 saw Dublin Bus host CIE60th in the new Harristown depot. This event was done in co-ordination with the Transport Enthusiasts Club. Buses new and old were on display showing the contrast and how far the company had come.
Dublin's main bus operator was formerly the Dublin United Transport Company. This company was incorporated into CIÉ in 1945, but regained partial autonomy in 1987 when Dublin Bus was created as a wholly-owned subsidiary company of CIÉ.
[edit] Wellington Quay Tragedy
On 21 February 2004 at Wellington Quay, Dublin, a bus mounted on a pavement and ploughed into a queue of 30 people, killing five and injuring 14. The driver was charged with dangerous driving, his trial began in February 2007 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.[1] He has since been found not guilty of any misdoings.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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