Dublin Bus is seeking Government funding of more than €70 million to buy 200 additional buses to serve new bus corridors, some of which have already been built.
Yesterday the Department of Transport confirmed Dublin Bus had made a formal application, along with a detailed business plan, to buy 100 additional buses this year, along with a further 100 next year.
The buses cost €350,000 each and, if approved, would be deployed along nine new bus corridors, as well as on new routes that are being proposed by the company as part of a review of existing routes.
A spokeswoman for the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, said a decision on the application would be made shortly.
At present four bus corridors have been completed or enhanced, although there have been no additional bus services available on these. A further five corridors are due to be completed by the end of the year.
Dublin Bus has previously stated it is unable to provide additional services on these corridors because of a lack of funding for extra buses on top of funding for replacement buses for its existing fleet.
Last year it emerged that the Government had postponed plans to provide funding for expanding the Dublin Bus fleet, pending a review and decision on allowing competition into the sector.
However, discussions with trade unions have stalled and there have been no meetings between officials and the Department of Transport since before Christmas.
An agreement on competition and the establishment of an independent transport regulator had been nearly reached last autumn. However, there are considerable differences between trade unions and the Progressive Democrats over the issue of privatisation of bus routes.
The National Bus and Rail Workers Union has indicated to the department that it is unwilling to consider the privatisation of any existing routes, although it will agree to allowing a competitive tendering process on new and additional routes.
The Progressive Democrats have indicated this would not be acceptable to it.