We’ll pay you €815 per week to drive this bus, the ad on the side of the double-decker says. Sign me up!
Like anyone who’s passed through the capital’s streets in recent months, I’ve seen the eye-catching banners, aiming to entice new drivers.
The state-owned company is desperately seeking new recruits. But do I have what it takes to drive a bus, the most widely used form of public transport? What qualifications do I need?
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As part of the company’s biggest recruitment drive in history, Dublin Bus needs around 150 drivers. A basic weekly income of €815 can be increased with shift work and overtime.
I love driving. I’ve driven lots of vehicles from motorbikes to racing cars and RVs, so I was keen to add a Dublin bus to my tally.
I organised a training session at the Broadstone hub, located in Phibsboro. It comprises Broadstone Depot, which recently saw an investment of €15.2million, and the Broadstone training centre across the way.
For the full training experience, I visited the hub for a whole morning to learn about Dublin Bus, the training and the people who work there. Dublin Bus media man Harry McCann showed me around.
“The company needs to fill a lot of positions, not just for drivers but also engineers,” he said.
“We have nearly 3,000 drivers and over 1,000 buses. We’ve had over 1,000 applicants but we need to fill a further 150 driver positions.
“We also need up to 50 people to service our fleet.”
I asked if you need a “bus D” licence – generally understood to be a specific requirement to get behind the wheel of one in Ireland.
Harry explained: “You used to, but now you need a driver’s licence and two years experience.”
Training is for six weeks – four weeks in the bus and two weeks in the classroom. Dublin Bus do an assessment with a car first, then go on to the interview stage.
There’s a written assessment, numerical skills and pre-employment medicals for both mental and physical health. You need people skills as well.
“We will be getting electric buses and new routes by the end of the year,” Harry added.
“By 2030, the fleet will be electric and we’re planning for a zero emissions future by 2050.”
At central control, I met with area operations manager Bernard Fox.
“People really enjoy working here. Many have been here for 30, 40 and even 50 years.
“We track every bus,” he said as we looked at maps and live cams. I learned why some buses wait at bus stops unannounced. “If the bus moves faster for whatever reason, then it will have to wait at a location in order to be on time.”
This led to a phenomenon known as “ghost” buses, caused by driver shortages and tech issues.
Bus services were vanishing off real-time information, leaving frustrated commuters stranded at stops. At the training centre, I joined a class with trainer Dara Black.
He said: “If you work in an office with 10 people and two are out sick, eight people can do the job of 10, but eight people can’t drive 10 buses.”
I learned bus drivers can work up to 60 hours per week and up to, but no more than, 11 hours in one go.
“There must also be a rest period of 24 hours after seven days,” he explained. You get between 21 and 31 holidays, depending on experience and shifts.
We are taught the role of a professional bus driver is to deliver passengers to their destinations safely, on time and in a courteous manner. The mantra of Dublin Bus is Every Journey Matters.
After training, communications officer Jodie Nolan brings me to my L-plated white and red bus.
“There’s a misconception that they are heavy vehicles, but they’re manoeuvrable. My mother drives a bus and she loves it,” she told me.
“You don’t go straight on the streets. You start off doing nursery routes and you have a mentor with you on the bus, the first week.
“If you can’t work full time, we also offer part time positions.”
My instructor Frank O’Donnell has been with Dublin Bus for 40 years. He explained the buses are automatic, but I still need to go through the motions of starting it up.
After my lesson I wanted to head into town. It was such a fun day with happy staff.
If you want to be a bus driver, go to www.dublinbus.ie/careers. Driver applications close at the end of July.
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