Dublin Bus aims to double number of female drivers

Thu, 08 Feb, 2024 - 13:44

Mairead Sheehy

Dublin Bus has launched a recruitment drive to double the number of female bus drivers, following a report that shows the role has historically been seen as a “man’s job”.

The ’More Mná’ initiative comes in the wake of new research, which shows one-quarter of Irish women did not apply for a job in the past due to the perception of it being a male role.

The recruitment drive is the second of its kind, having previously almost doubled the number of female drivers within Dublin Bus following a similar initiative in 2019.

Open days will run from March to May 2024, offering attendees the chance to meet with current female drivers and inspectors to hear about their experiences working within the bus service.

Aspiring employees will also be given the opportunity to drive a training bus alongside a Dublin Bus professional driving instructor, including a tour of the control centre and a detailed chat through the recruitment process.

Isabelle O’Riordan, 5, from Maynooth at the launch of the recruitment drive.

While a quarter of women across the country say they would like to drive a bus, this figure is higher within Dublin alone, with 32% of women revealing they would like to get behind the wheel.

Overall, a competitive salary has taken the crown as the biggest career non-negotiable for women, with 28% prioritising this as the number one deciding factor.

This was followed closely by flexibility and work benefits including health insurance and pension planning, which 13% of those surveyed preferred.

Dublin Bus talent development and diversity manager Vivienne Kavanagh said: “We are so proud to have achieved our previous goal of doubling the number of female drivers at Dublin Bus since our female recruitment drive in 2019, but we want to double it again!”

“I would urge any woman who is interested to join us at one of our upcoming open days to find out more about bus driver career opportunities and competitive packages, and just give it a try — we’re a big family, but we still want more mná!” she added.

The recruitment drive open days will take place on: