Dublin Bus is giving women across Dublin the opportunity to find out what it is really like to work as a professional bus driver, including the unusual opportunity to get behind the wheel of a bus under the supervision of an instructor.
The public transport operator is holding three female recruitment open days in August and September, as it looks to encourage more women to consider a career that can offer both relatively strong pay and flexible working options.
The first event takes place on Saturday, 15 August, followed by further open days on Saturday, 5 September and Saturday, 26 September 2026.
More than a typical recruitment event
Rather than simply handing out information about available jobs, Dublin Bus is inviting potential applicants to experience the job for themselves.
Visitors will be able to drive a bus under the supervision of one of the company’s professional driving instructors. They will also have the opportunity to meet female Dublin Bus drivers and inspectors and hear about their experiences working in the industry.
The open days will also include a tour of Dublin Bus’s Central Control Centre, giving visitors an opportunity to see how the city’s bus network is monitored and managed.
Recruitment staff will explain the application process, training and benefits, while attendees can ask questions about what it is actually like to work as a bus driver.
The initiative is part of Dublin Bus’s wider effort to increase the number of women working as drivers. Women currently account for just 8% of Dublin Bus drivers, according to the company.
There is a flexible option
One of the more interesting aspects of the recruitment drive is that Dublin Bus is not only looking for people interested in full-time driving.
Part-time bus driver positions are also available, potentially making the job attractive to people who have family responsibilities, are studying, or simply want to combine driving with another job.
The part-time role requires a minimum of 16 hours a week, normally spread over two days. Drivers are rostered to work every Sunday plus one additional day during the week, with shifts potentially including night services.
The current starting rate is €22.90 an hour. That rate rises through the company’s six-year pay scale, reaching €26.51 an hour in years five and six. The advertised rate already incorporates shift pay and the Sunday premium.
For someone working the minimum 16 hours each week at the starting rate, that represents about €366 gross per week before tax.
Full-time drivers can earn more than €1,000 a week
Dublin Bus is also recruiting full-time professional drivers, with the current advertised starting salary at €893.06 per week for a five-day week, including shift and Sunday premiums.
The salary rises to €1,034.03 per week on the six-year pay scale.
Full-time drivers work rotating shifts, which can include nights, weekends and public holidays.
There are also benefits including a pension or PRSA scheme, subsidised medical cover, free bus travel and concessionary rail travel. Dublin Bus also lists family-friendly leave, an education support scheme, sports and social clubs and other employee benefits.
You do not need to already be a bus driver
Perhaps the most important point for anyone considering the career is that applicants do not necessarily need to already hold a bus licence.
Dublin Bus accepts applicants with a valid Category B Irish car licence held for at least two years. Applicants with a full Irish Category D bus licence and the relevant CPC qualification can also apply.
Applicants must be over 21 and have fluent spoken and written English. They must also be prepared to work the required rotating shifts.
For applicants entering with a Category B licence, Dublin Bus provides professional driver training. Successful B-licence applicants currently undertake a six-week full-time driver training programme, while those who already hold a D licence undertake four weeks of training.
Importantly, trainees are paid during the training programme. Dublin Bus currently lists the training rate at €724.01 per week.
What happens after you apply?
The recruitment process involves several stages rather than simply submitting a CV and waiting for an interview.
Applicants are first shortlisted after submitting their application and required documentation. Those progressing through the process can then face an interview and driving assessment, followed by a pre-employment medical and the relevant theory tests.
For applicants starting with a car licence, Dublin Bus assists with the process of obtaining the necessary D licence and CPC qualifications.
This means the opportunity is potentially more accessible than it might initially appear to someone who has never considered professional driving.
What about people from Brazil?
For Brazilians living in Ireland, one important distinction is that having a foreign driving licence is not the same as meeting Dublin Bus’s published minimum requirement.
The company’s current recruitment information specifically states that applicants using the car-licence route need a valid Category B Irish licence held for at least two years. Applicants using the professional-driver route need a full Irish Category D licence and valid CPC documentation.
Applicants also need fluent spoken and written English because the job involves dealing directly with passengers and operating public transport safely.
The open day itself could therefore be particularly useful for anyone who already meets the driving requirements but is unsure whether bus driving would suit them.
When are the open days?
There are three dates available:
| Date | Event | Who can attend |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 15 August 2026 | Dublin Bus Female Driver Recruitment Open Day | Women interested in bus driving |
| Saturday, 5 September 2026 | Dublin Bus Female Driver Recruitment Open Day | Women interested in bus driving |
| Saturday, 26 September 2026 | Dublin Bus Female Driver Recruitment Open Day | Women interested in bus driving |
The closing date listed by Dublin Bus for the open-day opportunity is 27 September 2026.
How to attend
Attendance needs to be registered in advance through Dublin Bus. Applicants complete an online registration form and select their preferred date.
Dublin Bus says attendees will subsequently be contacted with their allocated time slot and directions to the location.
There is one important requirement even for attending the open day: participants must hold a valid Category B car licence for at least two years.
Register for a Dublin Bus Female Recruitment Open Day
Dublin Bus is hiring beyond drivers
The recruitment push comes as Dublin Bus has several other positions advertised alongside its driver vacancies.
Current vacancies include full-time and part-time bus drivers, heavy vehicle mechanics, vehicle body repairers and engineering service operatives.
That means the company could be worth watching even for people who are not interested in driving.
For anyone looking for a career change, the female driver open days offer something that conventional job advertisements cannot: the opportunity to actually experience the job before deciding whether to pursue it.
And with the combination of paid training, a starting part-time rate of €22.90 an hour and full-time salaries that can eventually exceed €1,000 a week, Dublin Bus is clearly positioning professional driving as more than just another entry-level job.
