Go-Ahead Ireland, the country’s newest private bus company, has announced the creation of 425 new jobs and an €8.5 million investment in its operation. The roles will be company-wide and include up to 350 bus drivers as well as engineers, maintenance support, mechanics, planners, operational and administrative personnel.
Ed Wills, Managing Director, Go-Ahead Ireland, said: “Since being awarded the contract to run 24 of the existing Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area (ODMA) bus routes by the National Transport Authority (NTA) last August, we have been building our Dublin operation in preparation for a phased rollout commencing September 2018. 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. 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, reflecting the NTA contract win and the increased use of public transport in the ODMA. Drivers can expect to earn up to €32,000 per annum with opportunities for further earnings with overtime, a contributory pension scheme, free modern uniform, travel benefits, paid holiday, industry leading training and ongoing CPD, structured working patterns with guaranteed hours, death in service benefit and opportunities to work elsewhere within the Go-Ahead Group, both here and overseas.
In a fresh development, 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 do not currently have the necessary D licence, but 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,” added Ed Wills.
When the new bus drivers and maintenance support colleagues are recruited, they will be working on existing routes, beginning in September 2018 and completing by end January 2019. The buses are easy access for wheelchairs and buggies, and, for customers who want to stay connected while they travel, USB chargers are installed on seat backs of the new buses and wi-fi will be available throughout. 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,” said Ed. “If that sounds appealing, then we want to hear from you.”
The €8.5 million investment will be spread across driver training, depot fit out and mobilisation.
Where can we apply for training? I am interested, but I can’t get a contact number or address to get it rolling. Kind regards.
You can contact them at Go-Ahead Ireland, Regus Harcourt, Harcourt Road, St Kevin’s, Dublin 2, T: 01 477 3730 (9.00-5.00), W: http://www.go-aheaddublin.ie/careers/.