Everyone in Northern Ireland knows ulsterbus, employing 1,250 drivers and operating approximately 1,100 buses Ulsterbus serves the whole of Northern Ireland. There were 65 million journeys on Ulsterbus and Metro (Ulsterbus services in Belfast) so they must be doing something right, right?. For many years and still to a certain extent today a journey on ulsterbus is more like taking a journey back 25 years!
Many of the buses are old and dirty and are used for the daily transportation of 65,000 children to and from school. These buses are fitted with low rise seats which are covered in old dusty fabric. The seats are covered in grafitti and litter is often sprawled across the floor. I traveled twice every day to and from school on these buses and 50% of the time i was forced to stand. In the winter the buses were cold even with the heating on. I got my travel for free then but today I have to pay! The prices are quite expensive, I pay £1.50 for an adult single on my commute to work or the local train station which is only 4 miles from my home. I think this is overpriced for the quality of the service.
The frequency of the buses outside Belfast is poor. My nearest bus stop is 100m from my house and is situated on a very busy dual-carriageway. On average a bus stops once per hour. However many areas are only served by 2 buses a day. People will only use public transport if it is frequent and gets them where they need to be at the right time. Often I travel to work by bus and sometimes the only bus before my shift is due to start is two hours earlier. This means that I am 2 hours early for work! The next bus will have me there too late.
Also Ulsterbus operates buses called Goldliners. These buses are used on intercity bus services and are more frequent, faster and more comfortable.
Most bus stations are outdoor and are fairly standard. However many could do with better facilities such as clean toilets that are always open and heating for the colder winter months. Some Ulsterbus stations are brilliant such as Belfast Europa. This is indoor with all necessary facilities. These include Cafe, toilets, ATMs and integration with the train network.
However Ulsterbus is now in the process of modernising its fleet and these new buses are comfortable and clean and more accessible for diabled people. I have traveled on these buses several times and have to say they are a big improvement!
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Oct 3rd, 2006
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