The competition is underway to operate 28 Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann routes.
The National Transport Authority has advertised the routes for possible private companies to run.
Twenty three Dublin Bus routes and five Bus Eireann routes are up for grabs after the government opened up 10 percent of the market.
This is despite objections from transport workers unions who have warned of industrial action if privitisation goes ahead.
Talks to resolve the row are ongoing at the LRC.
The Dublin Bus routes are mainly orbital, taking commuters to and from rail stations or large shopping centres to the suburbs, carrying about 9 million passengers a year.
Single operators are being sought for all of the dublin bus and bus eireann routes rather than multiple companies.
