Age limit for bus companies

GT89

Hi I am 22 and thinking of applying for a job as a bus driver with either Dublin Bus or Go-Ahead Ireland. I have a full B licence and I am just off the N plates so would qualify in that regard as I have had the licence for more than 2 years.

I am aware you have to be over 21 to become a bus driver but was wondering do DB or GAI have any additional age limits or do they prefer people who are older as from taking the bus and seeing bus drivers out and about I never any younger bus drivers that look younger than 25 or so. I don't want to be wasting time and money doing the Theory test, CPC and lessons only to be told no.

I have expierence in customer service from working in retail and would much prefer to work as a bus driver in Dublin as it's the job I've always been interested in doing due to my strong interest in public transport and buses in particular as you can probably tell by the username.

LastStop

GT89 wrote: »

Hi I am 22 and thinking of applying for a job as a bus driver with either Dublin Bus or Go-Ahead Ireland. I have a full B licence and I am just off the N plates so would qualify in that regard as I have had the licence for more than 2 years.

I am aware you have to be over 21 to become a bus driver but was wondering do DB or GAI have any additional age limits or do they prefer people who are older as from taking the bus and seeing bus drivers out and about I never any younger bus drivers that look younger than 25 or so. I don't want to be wasting time and money doing the Theory test, CPC and lessons only to be told no.

I have expierence in customer service from working in retail and would much prefer to work as a bus driver in Dublin as it's the job I've always been interested in doing due to my strong interest in public transport and buses in particular as you can probably tell by the username.

Once you can legally get your licence and your CPC the bus companies will take you on.

On a side note I've read many posts you've put up regarding the impact of the Corona virus on public transport and would suggest that your unwillingness to accept policies and regulations would be a massive hurdle in being hired or retained and perhaps you need too evaluate whether or not you would be prepared to work in an environment where you are required to follow instructions rigidly. You shouldn't take that as personal attack but as an informed piece of advice from someone who has years of experience in that sector.

GT89

LastStop wrote: »

Once you can legally get your licence and your CPC the bus companies will take you on.

On a side note I've read many posts you've put up regarding the impact of the Corona virus on public transport and would suggest that your unwillingness to accept policies and regulations would be a massive hurdle in being hired or retained and perhaps you need too evaluate whether or not you would be prepared to work in an environment where you are required to follow instructions rigidly. You shouldn't take that as personal attack but as an informed piece of advice from someone who has years of experience in that sector.

I've moved on from those posts as I'm happy with the new policies. I knew someone one would bring that up, look where I work right now has policies I don't agree with but have to accept in order to stay in a job.

Anyone who works with me including my bosses would say I'm professional, friendly, respectful, customer driven and do my job in the correct manner. I'm not a rule breaker or troublemaker of any sorts. Thanks for the advice.

DUBLINBUSGUY

Best of luck GT89. I believe that companies such as Go-Ahead Ireland are prioritising people who already have bus driving licences due to a lot of applications from coach drivers etc. whose industry was almost wiped out completely but we're 9 months in now so the waiting lists are probably calming down. Dublin Bus are currently hiring with applications closing 31st of March, however, you need to get a bus driver learner permit and CPC before applying.

GT89

DUBLINBUSGUY wrote: »

Best of luck GT89. I believe that companies such as Go-Ahead Ireland are prioritising people who already have bus driving licences due to a lot of applications from coach drivers etc. whose industry was almost wiped out completely but we're 9 months in now so the waiting lists are probably calming down. Dublin Bus are currently hiring with applications closing 31st of March, however, you need to get a bus driver learner permit and CPC before applying.

Yeah that's what I am working on atm. Unfortunately it won't let me book the theory test and CPC until the end of level 5 which is frustrating.

GT89

I'm half considering if I dont get DB or GAI moving to London and applying to one of the bus companies over there as they all seem to always looking for drivers. Does anyone has any experience working for any of the London bus operators like Arriva, Go-Ahead, Metroline, Stagecoach etc. I'd be interested to here.

.anon.

I'm not aware of any age limits in either company. I know of at least one 21 or 22 year old driver in Ringsend Garage. GAI are almost always recruiting - and I've seen their training buses around recently, so they must be hiring B licence drivers again. The DB closing date (currently the end of March) keeps getting extended.

GT89

.anon. wrote: »

I'm not aware of any age limits in either company. I know of at least one 21 or 22 year old driver in Ringsend Garage. GAI are almost always recruiting - and I've seen their training buses around recently, so they must be hiring B licence drivers again. The DB closing date (currently the end of March) keeps getting extended.

I've never seen very many DB drivers that looked young. I did see one Go-Ahead driver that looked around 21 or 22. In the UK you only need to be 18 and there are plenty of young bus drivers I believe. All my family think I'm a very good driver and am very safe and never go past the speed limit etc. my mates on the other hand think I drive like a granny

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

I joined Dublin bus back in 2014 as a 21 year old.

The N plate system is not applicable to any other vehicle categories.

But just my 2c .. don't do it, the job is not as secure as it was before, the pension is falling out of it, the shift and work patterns are absolutely shocking regardless of company and the wages are definitely not worth it for the job that it is. Again regardless of company.

And just to point, when I joined I was all bright eyes and excited to do it , took years to realize it was a waste of youth.

Honestly it's one of those jobs you can do in 10 or 15 years time if you really wanted to but do it when you've lived your life a little.

I really hope you take that advice but I get the feeling from your username your going to be very narrow sighted which will be a shame. It took me to leave the job to see how much I missed over the years and the amount of time you actually don't have off.

Just another point. I got a better paying truck driving job on a 4 on 4 off rota and I still try to meet up with colleagues from both dublin bus and bus eireann and it's very difficult to do it, not because of my availability, because of theirs !

There are people who enjoy the job and I'm not here to jump on them but I'll just say it could be a great job for you in about 15 years time. Definitely not at 21.

Have a friend of mine too who also did the same at 21 for a different company and worked together etc and he went off in a different direction too and isn't looking back either.

PalLimerick

Contact Go Ahead. They take on young drivers and in some instances offer and pay to train you. A small amount is deducted from your wages to pay for your training. You get paid a lower rate when training too.

All the above was true in 2019 anyway so it would be worth a try.

GT89

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I joined Dublin bus back in 2014 as a 21 year old.

The N plate system is not applicable to any other vehicle categories.

But just my 2c .. don't do it, the job is not as secure as it was before, the pension is falling out of it, the shift and work patterns are absolutely shocking regardless of company and the wages are definitely not worth it for the job that it is. Again regardless of company.

And just to point, when I joined I was all bright eyes and excited to do it , took years to realize it was a waste of youth.

Honestly it's one of those jobs you can do in 10 or 15 years time if you really wanted to but do it when you've lived your life a little.

I really hope you take that advice but I get the feeling from your username your going to be very narrow sighted which will be a shame. It took me to leave the job to see how much I missed over the years and the amount of time you actually don't have off.

Just another point. I got a better paying truck driving job on a 4 on 4 off rota and I still try to meet up with colleagues from both dublin bus and bus eireann and it's very difficult to do it, not because of my availability, because of theirs !

There are people who enjoy the job and I'm not here to jump on them but I'll just say it could be a great job for you in about 15 years time. Definitely not at 21.

Have a friend of mine too who also did the same at 21 for a different company and worked together etc and he went off in a different direction too and isn't looking back either.

Interesting opinion. I have put a lot of thought into the job over the last couple of years and tbh I know it's sounds sad but it's something I've always wanted to do since I was about 5. I do realise that the job is not all sunshine and roses and it has it's advantages and disadvantages. And I'm fully aware that the job involves a lot of unsociable hours working whilst everyone else is off basically.

What did you not like about the job can I ask was it just the hours or the job itself? Also when you say the job is not as secure as before what do you mean by this as I think it is more secure than many jobs out there right now especially at the lower end of the ladder.

I'm currently working in retail and many of my friends work in the retail and services industry which has crap hours and crap pay. It appears to be the way the workplace in general not just bus driving is going towards crap pay and crap hours being treated like sh1t. That's the way the world is unfortunately atm.

Many of my friends work in jobs with unsociable hours also. I don't really have a huge social life anyway and I don't really drink or go to the pub (when they are open) much either.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

GT89 wrote: »

Interesting opinion. I have put a lot of thought into the job over the last couple of years and tbh I know it's sounds sad but it's something I've always wanted to do since I was about 5. I do realise that the job is not all sunshine and roses and it has it's advantages and disadvantages. And I'm fully aware that the job involves a lot of unsociable hours working whilst everyone else is off basically.

What did you not like about the job can I ask was it just the hours or the job itself? Also when you say the job is not as secure as before what do you mean by this as I think it is more secure than many jobs out there right now especially at the lower end of the ladder.

I'm currently working in retail and many of my friends work in the retail and services industry which has crap hours and crap pay. It appears to be the way the workplace in general not just bus driving is going towards crap pay and crap hours being treated like sh1t. That's the way the world is unfortunately atm.

Many of my friends work in jobs with unsociable hours also. I don't really have a huge social life anyway and I don't really drink or go to the pub (when they are open) much either.

The hours are very bad. Not just working the unsociable hours but also long hours, little rest between etc. In Dublin bus I was "spare" and was forced onto the 5 day rota against my will which meant very little weekends off. Finishing on a Tuesday after midnight, having Wednesday off to be back in Thursday at 6am.

Going in working 10-11 hour shifts, getting stuck on split shifts the odd time meaning it'll be 13 hour day with 4 hour break in between. They are looking at 10+ years to get marked in so I wouldn't even think about it.

The job of actually driving the bus itself I found easy, moving a bus around on its own isint difficult. But put people on it, add other road users regardless of who they are and it's a very difficult job with stress and risk everywhere. Having to deal with difficult passengers such as people smoking etc. Yeah sure you've the shield but that won't protect you being honest. They will still go to grab you, spit on you and all sorts. I've had all these things done to me. That's with even being in what I was told by everyone as the "nicest garage in the company" !

The job itself I think will be different after the pandemic, with people working from home and funding down in transport as a result I can see some people never returning to the office in the city and passenger numbers possibly dropping. Putting tendering and other sorts into it and it's going to be wage dropping in coming years I think regardless of what unions promise.

Before I drove anything for work I also worked in retail, fast food delivery, call centers and insurance. In those places I was on low basic wages but had a lot more "me" time. While I was driving Dublin buses I saw some old co workers. To the point I was walking out the door to not come back to the bus until a co worker stopped me and told me to stay longer it was a great job etc.
I should've ignored him because he was wrong in my case. I was very happy to go back to my call center job on a Monday to Friday office hours and lower wage just to have a life again.

There's the other thing that's annoying which is EVERYONE will comment on you "you're too young to be driving a bus"
I used to say no I'm not if I'm here and I can do it. But now I know what they mean. I see that now and they were trying to do me a favor that I was too young to be in that line of work. I should've been out enjoying life.

Like I say, go live life for a few years, pandemic aside, when it's over there'll be plenty to do socially and plenty of the world to see, new friends to make etc. A bus drivers job will still be there in 20 years for you.

And again, just to say I went into the job full of hopes and dreams but then I saw the nepotism and bull**** that went on behind closed doors. Drivers getting promotions because of who they know. Non qualified drivers getting a training job because he goes out with the HR Managers daughter. The whole thing is a front and to know you'll never progress because you're a nobody is a sham.

When I was first there I was doing all the overtime doing everything told to because "I thought I enjoyed the job" and at the time.i probably did but it was because I wasn't seeing outside the job, how much I missed on the outside and it was only after years I realized it's just not worth it at all. No job is worth missing family or friends time.

It was the same when it came to time off, never getting a day off over Christmas because the regulars were getting them off.

But anyway I could be here all day listing off the things that go on there but I really want you to listen when I say, you are young, there's a world outside driving a bus, there's a world outside ireland too that your age is perfect for and take it from someone who was there at 21 , it's not worth it.

If you really feel the same in 15-20 years, you can always do it then.

KukiCRO

Just quick question for someone who has been through application and recruitment process or heard about it.

I just applied with DB as a B licence holder and I thought that I don't have to have theory test for D and cpc study done before hand. ( I know that my chances are better to get the job if I do it on my own) Did I miss on something or is that minimum requirement?

Thanks