Dublin Bus is set to recruit 450 drivers and 50 mechanics and engineering operatives as part of the company's largest recruitment drive since 1989.

The bus operator will host a recruitment day on Saturday April 2 at its Technical Training School in Dublin 7, during which interested candidates will be taken through the application process, meet current drivers and mechanics, and learn about working for Dublin Bus.

The newly recruited drivers and mechanics will be paid while in training, with average salaries of €42,000, and benefits packages including a mentoring programme, paid maternity and paternity leave, gym access, and subsidised GP medical scheme

The package also includes employee assistance schemes with free counselling sessions, access to an education support scheme for those in third-level study, and free bus travel.

Dublin Bus topped Ireland's 150 Best Employers Guide list last year and has been recognised as having one of the most inclusive and diverse workplaces and progressive HR policies and initiatives in the country.

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The company currently employs 3,700 people, including over 2,700 drivers and 500 engineering employees. Dublin Bus expects to introduce an additional 330 buses to its fleet by 2027 to meet the demand for services and to support the delivery of Bus Connects, the National Transport Authority's overhaul of the capital's bus network.

The company said the recruitment drive is part of the company's investment plan to increase the frequency and capacity of its services under BusConnects.

Dublin Bus last year set out plans to become a zero-emissions operator by 2050, having already reduced annual diesel consumption by 2.5m litres and introduced hybrid and hydrogen-powered buses to its fleet.

Photo: Michael Crowley, Dublin Bus HGV mechanic.