Are Bus Eireann Mad?

Its got a quaint sort of retro late 90s look to it. Actually I think they may have ripped off one of my mates "first homepage" from back in 1998 or so ...

They are definitely going for the Golden Spiders next year. And they will win.

I have been a) looking for the design company [no luck - at least they are embarrassed enough not to advertise] and b) looking for something [anything] I like about the site. Still looking......

It is truly horrendous stuff.

And the most unreal bit is the previous website, while no beauty, was better. It worked better too. This new one is a pain to use while the previous one was only mildly irritating.

lol! thanks, Michele. I notice as well that the first link on the site is to "Vision Impaired". I haven't clicked it, but presumably, it is a link to the designer's homepage ;-)

QFT:
I notice as well that the first link on the site is to “Vision Impaired”. I haven’t clicked it, but presumably, it is a link to the designer’s homepage

V good Kae

Jesus.

I actually think I'm going to be physically sick.

Most of CIE's websites are at least slightly mad in design.

As I mentioned on other related blogs, there was a big thing about this a couple of years back. Can't remember who got the contract but I remember the figure... they got around 350k euro for it. I remember because I said to myself... I'd love to get a contract like that... when at the time I was probably doing 350 euro website. lol. I'm getting there though!!! :D

David

Yes I think it was put to tender but like a worrying number of etenders it would seem that Large in size but not on talent win the day.

Speaking of new websites the Irish Times launched a new version this week which on initial inspection seems better. The digital edition also makes it easier to find the online version of the actual paper articles. The outfit that does this has 430 other newspapers available: www.newspaperdirect.com

Chris

Love the grey clouds on all the photos!!!

my god if i have ever seen such a complicated site.al i want to do is look up a simple route be able to type it in and print the time table seems the government are lacking in every aspect of governing and advertising their horrendus services!!

My taxi fares are starting to add up. Anything but use the website.

Well... the look of the page is one thing... sitting in one of those f**ing thing is another... if you actually manage to get a seat that is actually stuck and not moving around, because of some stupid kids destroyed the bus and the stupid company is out for some kind of vengeance by not putting them back, then you have to look at the ... nice .... pictures .... that the morons have cluttered the bus with. And the bus drivers smoke in the bus and either lets on so much people on the bus that you cant bread, or they just drive by. And that is if they show up at all. I have found that it is a bigger chance that Bush will stop waging wars than the f*cking bus actually showing up.

ah come on kids, what are yee on about?
just because the buttons on the left hand side don't conform to your infantile
idea of the perfect internet button that somebody
the ruling generation of yesterday and today pre conditioned into your heads, doesnt mean its not good, on the contrary should the site be commended for its
quirky design, have you ever seen internet buttons like it, very irish, and thats why we originally used to be great.we stood out, ignorate of modern ways. thats genuine if i ever describe it. thats why the world loves us. i think michele you need to find better things to do with your time, you must be very bored.

Sure, bejayzus and aren't ya right Nick! Isn't da site just like de Irish roads - lotsa big flashy signs dat mean nuttin and when ya want ta find somewhere, da feckin signs is missin.

Fair play to da fellas in Bus Eireann. Dey're keepin da tradition alive!

Bus Eireann is diabolical. I'm left in a dillema, I have a flight to Shannon airport on the 12th April when I arrive at 20.10pm, I'm on route to Cork to see my sister, but the last bus leaving for Cork is at 20.20pm. There is not a hope in hell that I will get from the baggage reclaim area inside 10 mins getting off the plane. This leaves me with the annoying option of having to get the later bus on route from Galway to Limerick. Guess what there is no connection from Limerick to Cork after 21.20pm, which is the time this bus gets in at. So I have to get a train which is not only, expensive, but has two change overs getting me in to Cork for 23.55pm, bloody long for a train journey. Anyway I tried to use the website, why is there not a search bar to get more specific details such as ' Limerick to Cork' the teletext service on tv is much better, you can select the city and then the destination, straight forward. With the website there is a very limited option for the Expressway timetables, very often all that is on offer is groups of citys interconnected, that might sound technologically advanced, but its a complete mess.

Yep, the website looks fairly awful, but it works reasonably well, and surely that's more important - unless you're the main bus operator and expected to sell Ireland to the 'Tourists'.

Another point though. Reading the contributions above, it's quite striking that the really unpleasant criticisers can't spell, ignore punctuation, fail to complete sentences and still feel entitled to lecture others about quality?

Pity we're such a sorry little nation.

I have to disagree, John. I tried to find a bus route on it a few weeks ago and failed miserably. The previous site functioned better.

And the criticisms are valid unless we live in a nation comfortable with sub-par services. We must demand more than this or it will slide further into disrepair.

@John:
IMHO the nature of blog comments are similar to that of a normal conversation, so a few spelling mistakes and trailing thoughts are allowed - the content of the message is what matters. I don't think they are subject to the same high standards that a oublic body's website would be.

While it would be easy to think that slagging off the Bus Eireann site is "typical irish knocking ourselves" I think there's more to it than that - the quality of design, attention to detail, and accessibility really is sub-par, and just not good enough for ANY site that serves a public need.

Yes, Bus Eireann are mad. I got on a bus in Galway recently. It was clearly labelled, in huge letters, GALWAY - ENNIS - SHANNON - LIMERICK. I was told "The Ennis bus is the one in front". But it says "Ennis" on the side of this one", I said, "And all my luggage is half buried by other peoples' in the boot". "It IS NOT on the side of the bus" says the driver. "It is", I said, "Look" and pointed to it. "Ah, that's just writing on the side of a bus" replied the madman, "the Ennis bus is the one in front".

Those buttons just scream "1990s Macromedia Director driven Kiosk". Perhaps BE are considering axing a few staff and installing touch screen kiosks in Bus Stations, to provide information. As for usability it does allow quick access to the PDF timetables, and thats all I want to see. If only An Post would take a leaf from their book, and make their PDF price list more accessible from the homepage. Everytime I bookmark it it moves, and when I try to find it in a hurry I just get the slick processor hungry Java Applet with the drop down menus. For some information a basic table, in a PDF, is yer only man.

It may give quick access, but does it have to be that ugly?

No

have decided to get taxi, much easier... than reading website..

yes Bus Eireann are man and BAD. I've recently discovered that private bus operators are much better and more reliable than them.

just Google where you want to go and you'll probably find a faster, cheaper, cleaner and friendlier alternative!

F**K Bus Eíreann (they should be made change their name too as it's bringing the name of the country into disrepute)

Yes it's awful. Even better than that, yesterday I checked it for times to Donegal from Store St. It gave me the wrong time for departure (no such bus) and I ended up getting a private bus instead. As well, if you think that one is frustrating, have a go on Iarnrod Eireann (what ever you do, DONT'T make a mistake, it costs money...), its the absolute pits....

Not only does it look horrible, but has anyone actually tried to use it?
Trying to book or find prices online is impossible as it is so badly scripted it just stops in places with no error messages.
And...I have tried this across several different browsers and platforms.

Hi there,
to really find out how inept the site is try and find the half two route from Galway to Tullamore via Kilbeggan. When you do find it print it out and bring it to the station in Galway and request a ticket for the route. Do not be surprised when you get a refusal for your request as this is what happened me a month ago. The bus did not actually exist!! Believe it, it is true. I wrote a letter in to the advertiser a week ago concerning this and they printed it thank God. We can not put up with this crap any longer it is beyond a joke at this stage, Yours,
Neil Garvey.

I agree with most of the above comments but have to admit I really dont care how the site looks. Reliable info and a fully working site are all I demand. Has anyone else realised that almost every nigbt recently from about 10.30pm the site stops working? Is it the first ever site to require sleep????

All i wanted to know was when buses left point A for point B, I was on it three times and for at least twenty- twentyfive minutes and I still have absolutly no idea whats going on. The layout is utterly atrousious and confusing. It should be fixed or they will loose face.