Public Transport Woes

In my interview for my current position, I asked about public transport in Dublin. The interviewers said that it wasn't a very good system by European standards and most people have cars and they are quite affordable. Hah!

First, cars are not affordable in Dublin. The cars themselves aren't really more expensive than other places but operating them is. Insurance is outrageous and petrol is also quite dear. However, more importantly, driving in Dublin is insane. Drivers tend to be quite impatient, traffic lights are timed to increase road congestion, and the roads aren't built to handle the number of drivers on them. Parking, especially in city centre, is also a pain and expensive.

So, we don't have a car and take all the available forms of public transportation to get to/from work. And since it is January, the rates are going up. According to the Minister of Transport, the bus and train company wanted to raise fares by 10%!!! They weren't granted this increase, but asking for 10% is outrageous, especially considering the buses don't run on time, are packed during rush hour, and frequently the buses have seats that aren't attached to the frame! So, buses are a mess and not a great value but only buses go to one of my work places.

The train system is a bit better. They at least have boards telling you how long you have to wait and sometimes tell you why the train is delayed. Also, if you believe the ads from the train company, about 95% of trains run on time. I am not sure if I buy that because it seems my trains tend to be a few minutes late quite frequently. Well, except for the 8:00 AM one to Balbriggan. The trains themselves tend to vary a lot. Some are nice, others seriously need a makeover and cleaning.

Now, the Luas, which is a tram system. This is by far the most effective and possibly popular public transport system in Dublin. The Luas has very limited lines as it is the newest form of public transport. However, it runs on time. It has a board telling you how long you have to wait. It is quite frequent. It is nice. It is comfortable if you get a seat. It is usually full. And it runs a profit ahead of schedule. So, in the company's infinite wisdom, they are going to increase morning rush hour fares to discourage people from using it during rush hour!!!!!! How else are people supposed to get to work? Does the company want to encourage them to drive on the already overcrowded streets? Should they take the unreliable, but cheaper, bus system? Does the company think people can really flex their work hours that much (fare increase from 7.45-9.30 AM)? Or, is this simply a scheme to make more money? It seems to me that they are targeting people who depend on them the most.

People in this city need a reliable, affordable public transport system. An integrated one where you could buy one ticket to use on all systems would be helpful also. However, since there are three companies running public transport, that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Either way, we need a reliable way to get to work and get around the city. Additionally, if there was a reliable, affordable transport system, I think it would alleviate traffic on the road. I do think the transport system needs to be off the roads. Part of the problem with the buses is that they get stuck in traffic. Yes, there are bus lanes but bikes and taxis also use the lanes. Actually, cars use them also. Further, there aren't always bus lanes. So, you can be riding along nicely in the bus lane, then it ends, the bus has to merge with traffic and everyone slows down again. Until the next bus lane...