Photo of the Week - Week 36:
Donnybrook's VT3 is seen on Kill Lane operating Route 75 on the 7th September 2017 (click on photo for larger version).
Route 75 is a busy cross-city service. AX-operated for god knows how long at this stage, it occassionally gets other vehicle types assigned. This included the occassional VT, especially when nothing else was available at Dún Laoghaire, the Route 75 bus being requisitioned for something else. Over the summer, a VT probably appeared once a week for a lap on the 75. However, they were impossible to catch as the assignment was random. However, with the return of the school term, and heavier loads on Route 75, there has been a need to increase the capacity of early morning departures on Route 75 and VTs are now officially allocated to Route 75.This is partially due to the reduced number of Route 75 departures from Tallaght in the morning peak. The new timetable introduced in May is simple to remember, being exactly every 30mins all day, however the previous timetable had a 15min frequency between 0650 and 0720 from Tallaght. This puts extra pressure on the service at 0700 especially.
Donnybrook's VT3 is seen on Butterfield Avenue on Route 75 on the 7th September 2017. The loading of this 0700 service from Tallaght is clear from the photo, the VT looking nearing 3-bells already (for those that don't know the term three bells, it dates from rear platform conductor operation, when the conductor would use three bell rings to advise the driver that the bus was full and no further passengers should be picked up. The term is still used despite it no longer being intuitive as to why).
The first day of this new allocation was the 1st September 2017, with the 5th and 7th pull-outs being assigned VTs each Monday to Friday. The 5th oull out operates the 0700 service from The Square to Dún Laoghaire via Sandyford Business District, while the 7th pull out does the equivalent 0730. On at least one occassion the 1st pull-out was also assigned, which does the 0800 from The Square, however this does not appear to be the general rule. The VTs usually stay allocated to the 75 for the whole day, however there is no guarantee that they will stay on the same board, i.e. Bus 5 and 7 after these first departures from The Square.
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Donnybrook's VT4 is seen on Blackthorn Road, Sandyford Business Park, on the 0730 Route 75 service from Tallaght via Sandyford Business District on the 7th September 2017.