Requesting a new bus route/ service

M

Mel

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Does anyone know how Bus Éireann decides when and where to establish new routes, or how to request a new service?
I don't see anything on their website.
We live in a an industrial area, about 5 minutes from a large commuter town. However, the only bus service is to the nearest city, and to go by bus to the town would cost approx €15 and take at least 60 minutes with 1 change. It is only a 5 minute car journey.
In theory, a shuttle bus could operate on an orbit and due to the high percentage of factory workers this should suit a lot of people.
We just don't know who to speak to.
 
You should contact Bus Eireann and any private bus operators in the area with your proposal. Do all factories/offices start at the same time? Have you done any surveys to see where people are coming from to work? You may be surprised that many are coming from further away than the local town. Is there a committee/management company in charge of the industrial estate? You should try and get as much info as possible before contacting the bus companies.

However BE are fairly broke and whilst from your point of view there is a good case to be made for a service, the sunk costs in providing a bus service may not make it viable for them.
What route would they take the service away from?
What would they do with the bus/driver in between the likely peak only services?
What exact route should the bus take in order to attract the maximum number of passengers?
What price would people be willing to pay?
Would the factories/offices subvent the service?

There's a lot of work to be done beforehand if you want to have a chance of them saying yes.
 
Hi there, thanks for the information.
I realise it isn't a case of just asking, but it makes no sense that all of the children in the area need to have lifts to school etc. due to there being no bus service. There are no amenities to speak of in the area so the same goes for grocery shopping and so on.
One option would be to divert an existing bus, even a handful of times daily.
We will see what information we can get from the local employers.
I personally find it infuriating that the government is pushing the use of public transport and at the same time not providing the service in so many areas, even ones with hundreds of cars coming in and out each day. I appreciate that a lot of these are from outside the area, but I'm pretty sure anecdotally that equally a lot are travelling short distances.
 
If you are fairly sure and can provide a bit of evidence that a route like this would be useful and popular, even during just peak times. Im sure theres an enterprising person that would happily provide this service, it would be a job they could do 8-10, and 4-6 maybe. so not much in the terms of hours and perhap profitable.

As BE are broke and much slower to implement changes. I suggest that perhaps making a couple of notices and placing them in a few of the business parks or even shops. Leave a number and the basic idea, inform them you could provide a route idea. It might give someone a good idea who has the initiative to do it. Would make a job and solve your issue.

Its a little bit more work than asking i know, but perhaps you might even have a stake in the business and make some money from your suggestion!
 
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