One woman who left the world of digital marketing to become a Dublin Bus driver feels "so free and happy" with her new journey.
Barbara Shanahan from Marino in Dublin, left a job in digital marketing for hospitality to pursue a career as a bus driver with Dublin Bus when the pandemic hit.
She said: “I lost all my clients basically overnight. My entire business just went because everything closed and, of course, that was the end of that.”
Her new position didn’t fall out of the sky, but rather drove past her on Griffith Avenue.
“What happened was I saw this double-decker bus passing by beyond Griffith Avenue and it had a big sign on it saying ‘Looking for female bus drivers’, so it was like come have a go at driving the bus and I thought ‘Jeez, that looks like fun actually. I’m going to do that for the craic," she told Ryan Tubridy on his radio show on RTE Radio One.
Shanahan got in touch with Dublin Bus, and went to the all-women open day at Phibsboro Garage. Here she got to meet drivers and other women who were interested in the role, as well as getting to drive the buses around the yard.
She said: “That was the start of this journey that I’m on now.”
Becoming a bus driver was never something that Shanahan considered but that changed with the onset of the pandemic.
“I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would or could drive a massive double-decker bus. It was never really on my remit," she said.
However, growing up in Marino meant that Shanahan would always see buses throughout her childhood and would ask the bus conductors for their roll of paper.
“I remember as a kid being on the top circle there and asking the bus driver for bus rolls - that was a big thing.
“The bus drivers were so sound. They always were happy. You always respected the bus," she said.
After trying her hand at driving the buses on the open day, Shanahan got to view the communications of the whole city, which gave her an insight into the massive operation that is Dublin Bus.
Upon meeting workers there, she realised they had all been there for decades and they were “all so happy”.
“I just picked everyone’s brains. I was just chatting with everyone, finding out as much as I could because then I thought, ‘This is a really viable option. I could actually work for this company.’”
Shanahan was trained for seven weeks, which allowed her to come to grips with the size of the vehicle. She passed her test first time and is now out on the roads.
She said: “I am officially a professional bus driver.
“You can see me waving and smiling.”
Last Sunday, she did the 123 route, which goes from Walkinstown to her home of Marino.
“It’s really surreal driving around the circle waving at people I knew, saying hi to people I knew," she said.
Shanahan thinks becoming a bus driver could be a great option for those who have been at home with kids for the last ten years or so to give them financial independence and to get them back to work.
She said: “For women and for me at this stage, it just fitted in so well. There’s no pressure. You go in, you drive your bus, you leave. There are no emails. Nothing to check.”
“There are a lot more women on the road now.
“It’s obviously predominantly male so sometimes you feel a little bit outnumbered.
“But, they’re very respectful. Everyone’s really nice.”
In her old job, Shanahan was always “running” to the next thing. Becoming a bus driver four days a week has opened up so much for her, as well as getting to move around Dublin while doing so.
“I’m in my city now, driving through the city. I feel so free and happy. It’s just such a change in attitude and lifestyle and a whole connection to the city that I missed," she said.
