Ticket machine problems - resolved
April 16th, 2008
We’ve had ticket machine problems over the last day with the fare increases. This is a teething problem, but it is seriously embarassing for us. If we can’t get it sorted out by the morning, the plan is to charge the off-peak fare until we get it right.
UPDATE: this problem is resolved and the correct tickets are being issued for the correct prices, and 10-journey tickets are available and being issued on all coaches.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I was glad to see the 10 journey ticket finally available to purchase. When I purchased one I was a bit disappointed to see it was a flimsy receipt for my €35. Never the less my problem with the ticket arrised on my 2nd day of using it. The punch system you use to mark the amount of journeys travelled is being used incorrectly. (How you may ask?)is beyound me,as it seems quiet a simple method to use. The previous evening journey no.2 was punched twice by error as the driver missed the no on the reciept the first time round. That was fine until the morning of day 2! I produced my ticket to a different bus driver. He disagreed with me that it was my 3rd journey, an said that it was my 4th as 3 punches were covering, journey 1 and 2 on my ticket, which was incorrect! I was highly embarrased as he persued to comment that I was in the wrong. I think this Bus service is a great asset to Swords, but the attitude that this driver had is not very welcoming. On the other hand you do have some great drivers like Robbie, he is friendly an polite to your customers. Hopefully the ticket marking can be resolved so no more customers are accused of being in the wrong.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Drivers attitudes.
Instead of knocking all the time - lets hear it for Robbie, the best driver on Swords Express. Thankfully he is back with us again.
And just in case you think I’m related to him, I’m not.
April 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I second that Anne. Always excellent service from him (and friendly too). I’m not related to him either and neither do I work for SwordsExpress.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 am
Its a pity they are not all like Robbie.
Why cant the bus which commences at Pavilions come to the stop before the time. This morning the bus was due 5 minutes to the hour. It parked away from the stop and then drove to the stop at 4 minutes to the hour. We then left the stop on the hour (5 minutes late from the designated time), then with problems with ticket dispensing, people buying tickets, the driver stopping to pick up stragglers (is this an express service or what?) it took the bus 15 minutes to get to Airside. This is mad. Please DRIVERS load the bus at the first stop BEFORE THE DEPARTURE TIME, people PLEASE HAVE YOUR MONEY READY.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Agreed, I’ve noticed over the last while the buses aren’t leaving at the same times, and if it’s a case that they aren’t being loaded until exactly the time is’t supposed to leave the first stop then it’s obviously going to be late, and 5 minutes late leaving could mean a fair bit longer on the motorway and down around the Point…….not knocking the service just pointing out something that could improve it, and as Anne said it is supposed to be an Express Service, so it should leave on time…..
May 7th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Hmmmm. What’s Swords Expresss logo on the buses. Is it Swords - City in about 30 minutes or 35 minutes? I get it at peak times every day (about 7:45AM to the city and about 5:45PM to Swords) and they always beat that (except for the times when the traffic is totally shagged because people can’t travel in a straight line along the quays without bumping into each other).
The timetables were created when they used to start at Penneys. People asked for them to start at Pavillions so they did. That’s going to add a few minutes to the trip isn’t it, as they have to load twice.
When the peak time service is every 10 or 15 minutes it’s not that hard to get the earlier one if loading is causing you to be delayed.
It’s not just Robbie that’s decent. There’s a guy with a Northern accent that’s been fairly decent and friendly too.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I know what you’re saying, but I use the 7:06 and 4:00 services, so I kinda hoped that the service would remain the same as time went on, and it’s not a big inconvienence or anything I just prefer to get to where I’m going for 7:30 like I had been doing, this week it’s been back to those times again, so that’s been great…….
May 31st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Hi there - I think the Swords express is the best service in a long time. I would really hope that it maintains it standard though.
I am slightly disappointed in the past two weeks as the service has come to an all time low. The 16.45 does not depart at 16.45 ever. The bus leaves outside georges quay I would think at 16.45 or later and we can see it crawling up the quays over the bridge down to us all standing outside murphys laughter lounge. The people that have been waiting for the 16.45 now increases in size due to the people waiting for the 17.00 start appearing so we have double the amount of people now waiting for the bus. Therefore it takes longer for people to get on and people are getting on the bus frustrated. Why can’t the buses on georges quay leave earlier I can understand if it just wasn’t possible but it seems to be the bus drivers are not preparing themselves for the traffic and calculating the time it takes from georges quay to eden quay. Can you talk to them please and ask them to beaware of this?? I have missed a class i go to every second day at 17.30 and it is important that the bus leaves at 16.45 if it leaves later I miss it. I hope this is resolved soon. I use this service all the time and I am paying good money for a good service.
Excellent to see that it is only 2 euro this weekend - well done in taking the initiative. Have a good bank hol weekend.
May 31st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I would like to say that your service is excellent and I hope it does well.Travelling by bus is usually an ordeal with constant stops and starts, and interminable journeys through housing estates and airports.So well done and keep up the good work.
I don’t know how many buses you have on the route but if I see one I’ll take it in preference to Dublin Bus, but there is one problem! You have no timetables on the bus stops apart from Swords, and therefore there is no way of knowing whether I have just missed a bus or whether one is due, if no information is available. So can I suggest that you put timetables on the stops to make it clear when buses may be coming. Waiting at stops not knowing whether a bus is due or not is a pain in the rear end; so usually in that case I will walk on to a Dublin Bus stop, knowing that they now have more buses than in the past, and waiting isn’t what it used to be. I mentioned this to two different drivers and they started talking about the traffic, but my point was that when you are left totally in the dark about whether buses are due or not, then that’s a problem. Keep up the good work flying into town! Its coming back home that could be a bit better.