Dublin Bus is planning to sell 67 double decker buses this year as part of the company's standard fleet replacement. 57 Volvo double deck city buses and 10 Dennis double deck city buses are up for sale according to tendering documents.
Dublin Bus says that all vehicles will be sold in a roadworthy condition with the company’s livery removed and tyres will be included in the sale.
The buses - 52 of which were registered in 2003 and 15 of which were registered in 2002 - will be available from September.
The last time the company made additions to its fleet was in 2016 when 100 new double-deckers were added.The national transport authority funds Dublin Bus’s annual fleet replacement programme, the aim of which is to continue making efficiencies as newer buses tend not to require as much maintenance as their older counterparts.
A spokesperson for the company told The Irish Times that vehicles are replaced " when buses have reached the end of their cycle for our needs as a transport provider and to keep our fleet modern [and] environmentally friendly."
It is understood that these buses could be sold to a variety of different organisations including school bus operators, tour bus operators and, in some cases, bus enthusiasts. It’s believed that there will be some Irish buyers for the vehicles but that most of them are likely to go to the UK.
It’s not clear how much Dublin Bus plans to sell each bus for, but similar models are currently for sale on the Autoline website for between €14,000 and €19,500.
All of the buses have a wheelchair ramp at the front and have a seating capacity for 74 people.
Dublin Bus is allowing bidders to make an offer for one, some or all of the vehicles and the closing date for the receipt of bids is 12 noon on Wednesday, 10th of May.