THE country’s newest private bus company is looking for up to 350 drivers and over 70 support staff to help service 24 routes in the Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area.
Go-Ahead Ireland was awarded the contract for the routes from the National Transport Authority (NTA) last August and is preparing for a phased rollout from September.
Buses will serve communities from the Liffey to Lucan and from Balbriggan to Bray and including ruotes 45A, 75, 184, 63, 185, 111, 59, 17A, 102, 33A, 220, 33B, 104, 18, 76, 239, 270, 238, 76A, 236, 17, 114 and 161.
There will also be one new route, the 175 running from City West to UCD.
Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland, Ed Wills, said the company was “very much” open for business and is looking for anybody interested in working for them.
“Creating these new 425 jobs and providing a financially secure and investment ready business is critical for our colleagues, our customers and our ambitious expansion plans,” he said.
“We are passionate about what we do and are focused on attracting the very best talent out there.”
Most of the roles being recruited for are bus drivers, who can expect to earn up to €32,000 per annum with opportunities for further earnings and overtime, a contributory pension scheme and travel benefits among the benefits.
There will also be opportunities to work elsewhere within the Go-Ahead Group, both in Ireland and overseas.
Go-Ahead Ireland will cover the cost of bus driver training and acquiring the necessary D licence, which equates to €4,000 per driver.
"We have taken this decision to encourage people who don't currently have the necessary D licence, but who want to drive a bus, to apply and we believe this will open up the positions to a much wider group of people, who might not have considered a career in transport before," said Wills.
When the new bus drivers and maintenance support workers are recruited, they will be working on existing routes, beginning in September and completing by end January 2019.
The buses will have easy access for wheelchairs and buggies. USB chargers are installed on seat backs and WIFI will be available throughout the fleet.
The buses will be equipped with "next stop" announcements and a visual display of the name on the next stop. The vehicles are powered by the latest Euro VI diesel engine, which are much cleaner than older diesel engines.
"The Go-Ahead Group has built its success on understanding the complexities of transporting millions of people, providing great customer service and creating a positive culture for its people to work in. If that sounds appealing, then we want to hear from you," said Wills.
For information on the advertised roles log onto www.go-aheaddublin.ie.