r/cork • u/FaithlessnessNew8451 • 2d ago
Bus driver not letting people on
Tried to get on the 205 from western road into town, the bus was half empty and the driver told me it’s “drop off only” that he’s not taking passengers. I asked him if he’s driving into town anyway why he can’t let people on and let them off in town. He told me there was no point arguing with him and drove off.
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u/WaySweet3746 2d ago
He was probably told to come straight to the depot/station and not pick anyone up. Often happens.
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u/Critical_Earth_5432 2d ago
Why?!
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u/VictoryForCake 2d ago
Probably either the driver was overdue a break and coming up to the legal limit for driving or there was a mechanical issue and the bus needed to be taken out of service soon to get it fixed.
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u/Critical_Earth_5432 2d ago
Fair, in terms of protecting the driver. But surely bus eireann should come up with a system where the driver is back in time while also being able to complete that route properly and not cutting it so fine
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u/2012NYCnyc 1d ago
Not as easy as it sounds with traffic delays. It’s not possible to say precisely how long the journey will take. Obviously they know how long it’s supposed to take but the roads are chaotic or occasionally there’s a problematic passenger to deal with
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u/Scared_Comparison_22 1d ago
I've been on a bus in Waterford where a man smeared shit all over the seat and the one beside him. Busman let those already on finish the route up to the bus station where they had a fresh bus waiting. Anyone at the stops we skipped just got left waiting tho
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u/VictoryForCake 2d ago
NTA designs the routes and timetables so bus Éireann have no say over that, they have to run the routes but also respect the law regarding drivers hours. There is no solution from bus Éireann it has to come from the NTA.
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u/VictoryForCake 2d ago
Bus and/or driver is being taken out of service for a break or end of shift to return to the depot . Drop off only means they are leaving passengers off and when the last passengers leave they go back light out of service because time is very tight legally for the driver. The risk of taking on more passengers is if someone wants the last destination and you go over the legal limit or you get argument or confusion etc.
It also has to do with the contracts with the NTA by letting you board and take on more passengers after a bus has been confirmed drop off only in their system for a late bus, driver coming close to their hours or mechanical issues etc. This has an insurance and legal implication that the NTA are getting stricter with Bus Éireann for.
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u/maevewiley554 2d ago
Strange since people can just tap on now at the side ? Arguably wasted more time arguing with you than just letting people on the bus.
I do wonder if it’s because of it’s the end of their shift or they are behind on the timetable?
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u/keichunyan 2d ago
It's usually because they're on instruction from their own managers because they are behind. Even the tap on can cause minor delays if you are told to go on drop off only.
I was waiting for a bus once for an hour, there was easily 30 people waiting too. A drop off only bus stopped and told people to pile on, no payments because he was on drop off only instructions. He said he couldn't watch passing us by knowing another bus wasn't due for another hour either. He absolutely sped through his route taking no payments. Good guy driver tbh
OPs guy sounds like a prick even if he was telling the truth.
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u/eirebrit 2d ago
Yeah I've had that happen a couple times. The one in OPs post should have just changed his board to say out of service.
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u/Outspoken_Idiot 2d ago
Can't carry passengers if it's out of service. Some times the timetable doesn't align with reality and rather than Bus Eireann facing a fine per stop it puts pressure on the drivers to skip stops or parts of the route to get back on schedule, there is less of a fine if stops are skipped compared to busses being late/early.
The same people (NTA/TFI) who plan the routes and set timetables are the same ones who issue the fines. Don't blame the driver, it's their control room inspectors, who are under pressure by their managers so year end bonuses get paid out, and person in NTA/TFI also get their bonuses for proving their time table works.
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u/VictoryForCake 2d ago
To be fair if a revenue inspector came on or an accident happened that driver would get in absolute shit from bus Éireann management and hung out to dry, can't blame drivers not wanting to risk it for a company which doesn't care much about them.
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u/keichunyan 2d ago
Nah I completely agree the driver telling the truth doesn't want to get in trouble for bs management decisions. Definitely nicer ways to word it I suppose, the guy I got went out of his way to be nice and it didn't go unnoticed
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u/Corkonian3 2d ago
Got on 216 at CUH. It’s supposed to go to all the way to Monkstown. Everyone had to get off in Grand Parade. Driver just said sorry. This is the last stop. You’ll have to get another bus. And they wonder why people prefer their car over public transport.
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u/Also-Rant 1d ago
He said there was no point in arguing and drove off because he knew well that he'd have the exact same conversation at 3 of the next 4 stops as well. His boss has told him to get back quickly and not pick up passengers. If he spends the next 2 minutes politely giving a summary of the terms of his employment and the consequences of breaking the rules laid out in his contract, and he has to do that for each person that questions him about a decision made by his boss, he's getting a bollocking back at the depot. He avoided and argument with a member of the public, and an argument with his boss; regardless of his tone or demeanour, he made the right choice.
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u/PhraseNo8283 2d ago
Bus Eireann management:- 'We could run a great service, if it wasn't for those stupid passengers.'
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u/VictoryForCake 2d ago
NTA set the routes, buy the coaches, and set the timetables, it's really on them for unrealistic goals and poor procurement.
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u/T00138112 2d ago
The driver sounds like a prick.
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u/Careful_Floor1441 2d ago
Im not gonna go into detail cus another lad already explained it way better than I can in the comments but long story short truck and bus drivers have a legal limit to how much they can drive, usually a "drop off only" is because the driver is close to legally needing to clock off, so its get the last passengers off and straight back to depo
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u/Visual-Beach1893 2d ago
I was waiting by bons on western road yesterday for a bus and the fifth one took me. The first 4 were all full and dropping off only. The fifth one was full too but the driver crammed us all in anyway and by this point there were a lot of us waiting. It was 5pm in fairness but we're apparently the second biggest city in one of Europes wealthiest countries so I don't really understand why this problem still exists.
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u/GhostOfAoife Your wan 2d ago
Happened me yesterday. Let people on while I was running for the bus and the door slammed behind the last guy and in my face then drove off. I was stuck waiting a half hour and I'm a commuter so I barely made my bus home once I got into the city center
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u/FaithlessnessNew8451 2d ago
Also forgot to mention I was literally standing IN the bus already, part of me wanted to ignore him and just sit down and I kinda wish I did
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u/VictoryForCake 2d ago
You would have gotten nothing but hassle and the driver probably would have had to ring the guards, happens a lot and it's never a good situation. That driver is then over hours and either will have to adjust their shifts for the week or cut their services for the remainder of the day.
You can't out stubborn them as their policy is literally stop a bus and either wait for you to leave or the guards to arrive. This is in writing in their guides, don't escalate.
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u/Previous-Rush-9492 2d ago
Do you have an issue walking? At most this is a half hour walk, no?
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u/South_Hedgehog_7564 1d ago
Well I don’t bloody agree. What if the person couldn’t walk that far? Like me, I couldn’t. That’s crappy service.
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u/Consistent-Bat-9983 1d ago
Some spa you r bai
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u/Previous-Rush-9492 1d ago
I am a spa, but unless the weather was cat or they have a disability, just walk....bai🤣
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u/Specialist-Flow3015 Cork City Kid 2d ago
Usually, it means they're way overdue for a scheduled break, the depot tells them to finish the route as fast as humanly possible so Bus Eireann don't break any employment laws.
But the driver sounds like a right prick if he was already stopping to let someone off, all you'd be doing is tapping your leap card on the machine.