Passing the buck: Dept of Transport style

This is an email I sent to the Departmnet of Transport complaining about the Waterford - Limerick Junction service that I regularly use.

Dear Sir /Madam,

I cannot for the life of me understand why the Waterford to Limerick Junction service has got progressively worse. With the announcemount of the new travel timetables this month I was expecting a vast improvement in the service as part of the Transport 21 plan, but no, what I have got is more of the same.
First example look at the timetable for weekdays.

The services leave Waterford at 06.00, 10.15 and then there is a long wait until 16.30 for the next service to leave. Why the wait?

Second issue here is why is there no Sunday service or one open on Bank Hollidays? If we are to ensure the viability of this service then surely if the Waterford/Limerick Junction service is open on Sunday's or Bank Holidays this automatically would open the student market, as many students from the South East go back to UL on Sunday evenings from Bus Stations from Waterford to Tipperary Town.

Also the Munster Hurling Championship season commences in May with many hurling fans from Waterford travelling to venues like Cork, Limerick & Thurles on Sunday's. This is a line that has huge potential and yet it is allowed to sit on the back burner with 3 skeleton services.

Secondly is the actual carriages.
There is no snack trolley on board.

Finally the engine frequently breaks down leaving us passengers waiting for an auxilliary bus service to arrive. What kind of public transport service are we running here. We are paying our taxes so in return the least we deserve is a proper public transport system.

I look forward to hearing from you.

And this is the classic response I got from the Department of Transport:

receipt of your query has been acknowledged, Time Tables and maintenance of Engines / Carriages is not a matter for the Department of Transport. You will need to contact the Iarnród Éireann through their website www.irishrail.ie

I should email Martin Cullen telling him that his staff cannot write basic English. Then again i would be referred to www.irishrail.ie

Unbelievable :eek:

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Originally Posted by Partizan

I should email Martin Cullen telling him that his staff cannot write basic English. Then again i would be referred to www.irishrail.ie

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They're right, you should contact Irish Rail!
With regard to their level of English, your own spelling isn't perfect.

With regard to the service, I've no sympathy for you. The fewer exit routes from Waterford, the better, as far as I'm concerned.

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Originally Posted by Peadar

.....The fewer exit routes from Waterford, the better, as far as I'm concerned.

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Miaouw!!!!

Partizan ... if you get onto Irish Rail, will you let us know the outcome .... be interesting to see.

Dept of Transport ..... definitely in favour of passing the buck alright but Irish Rail are the guys with answers for you.

Best of luck anyway !!

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Originally Posted by Partizan

Secondly is the actual carriages.
There is no snack trolley on board.

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Jaysus, do you want to buy stuff on the train - way too expensive - just stock up before ye get to the train station :eek:

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Originally Posted by Peadar

With regard to the service, I've no sympathy for you. The fewer exit routes from Waterford, the better, as far as I'm concerned.

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You might want to consider using smilies Peadar. Or not posting comments like this at all.

Partizan, would you ever cop on. Nothing wrong in this country is the fault of the current Government. This just filters down to the FF's that have been given jobs at the top of the civil and public service.

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Originally Posted by Ken Shabby

You might want to consider using smilies Peadar.

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How did we ever survive without smilies! :rolleyes:

Right on queue with your cheap shot there Macy.

The Government are at fault because Partizan couldn't use simple logic or follow due process when filing his complaint!? :confused:

Nice one Macy. :rolleyes:

Its not a very logical complaint Partizan. The times the trains run at is all down to supply and demand. I'm sure there's not enough demand for a service between 10:15 and 16:30. Waterford - Limerick would hardly be a busy route either so 3 services a day seems reasonable to me.
Anyone buying food or beverages on a train is foolish anyway. Its terrible quality and a rip-off. Use the shop like Cosmo says.

Of course a complaint of that nature should go to Irish Rail and not the department of transport.

Simple solution - buy a car & don't rely on public transport or else get a private bus as i'm sure several operators on that route.

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Originally Posted by pete

Simple solution - buy a car & don't rely on public transport or else get a private bus as i'm sure several operators on that route.

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:D That's all this country needs ...another fcuking car on the roads ...why not go the whole hog and buy a jeep ...you're sitting up higher so you're safer so the myth goes ;)

Partizans complaints are reasonable if indeed misdirected. In order for a route to be successful it has to be reliable and consistent which it patently isn't. I've passed through there quite a bit and Limerick Junction is a desperate, desolate place at the best of times.

Though anyone keen to buy food on a train is probably mad as a snake trying to fcuk a goat. :eek:

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

:D That's all this country needs ...another fcuking car on the roads ...why not go the whole hog and buy a jeep ...you're sitting up higher so you're safer so the myth goes ;)

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All i am saying is that life is less stressful if you try not to rely on the public sector for too much. Bus Eireann, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, old Aer Lingus...

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Originally Posted by Peadar

How did we ever survive without smilies!

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We didn't, and the lack of them resulted in a lot of flame wars caused by inappropriate comments. Like yours. That's why some bright spark came up with the idea, and why I'm asking you to either use them, or desist.

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The Government are at fault because Partizan couldn't use simple logic or follow due process when filing his complaint!?

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Partizan /didn't/ use due process, and he was wrong in his approach. However the DoT response was also badly handled, and there is zero doubt in my mind that Partizan will ultimately need to file a complaint with the Minister anyway - because IR will fob him off; because it's a horrendously mismanaged organisation, and always has been - as is his right. The Minister has ultimate responsibility.

adam

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Originally Posted by Ken Shabby

Partizan /didn't/ use due process, and he was wrong in his approach.

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Civil servants can't even rely to letters properly so no hope of them providing a transport system ;)

Maybe we could have an automatic disclaimer on Peadars post like "don't take this poster seriously..." :D

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Originally Posted by pete

Maybe we could have an automatic disclaimer on Peadars post like "don't take this poster seriously..." :D

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I am serious sometimes, Pete.

The last thing we needed on the most depressing day of the year was someone moaning that their poorly structured and misguided complaint was fobbed off.

Well, I'm not surprised from some of the reactions especially from our Corkie friends here especially Pete who just shows his complete and total ambivilence to an ordinary PAYE worker like myself.

Guess what biy :p I cant afford a car.

Secondly, I'm a citizen of this state, I work, I pay my taxes so the least I expect in return is a public transport system which enables ordinary bloke individuals like me who cant afford private transport travel around with some kind of convenience and punctuatlity.

What is more shocking is that we are supposedly one of the richest countries in the world, living in an era of unprecedented economic growth and prosperity and yet our basic services (long neglected and starved of investment) are creaking and groaning under the strain.

Why should us, the Irish people put up with this type of mismanagement and sheer incompetence from a ruling establishment that has grown fat on the backs of our ignorance and wallowing in its own arrogance and complacency. Can anyone tell me, in what other Western European country would this Keystone Cop management be tolerated.

Finally for those who think I went about it the wrong way, I simply highlighted a problem, a valid one at that and to be treated like this just sums up my total lack of faith in the system.

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Originally Posted by Partizan

Why should us, the Irish people put up with this type of mismanagement and sheer incompetence from a ruling establishment that has grown fat on the backs of our ignorance and wallowing in its own arrogance and complacency. Can anyone tell me, in what other Western European country would this Keystone Cop management be tolerated.

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Why, Cork of course!:D

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Originally Posted by strangeirish

Why, Cork of course!:D

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Afraid so ... its pretty much the same in this country as in your country !! :p

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Originally Posted by A face

Afraid so ... its pretty much the same in this country as in your country !! :p

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Touche, mon amie, touche.

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Originally Posted by Partizan

Well, I'm not surprised blah blah blah...

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Your elaborate rant doesn't disguise that fact that your poorly constructed and misdirected complaint was pointless. You're hurting now because we've pointed out your foolishness, so you make a personal attack on Pete.

Face facts, you need to structure your complaint properly and submit it to the appropriate body.