New Kilkenny bus service now in operation

Connectivity between rural and urban Kilkenny has become a little bit easier for commuters this week, as The TFI Local Link's new bus service between Fiddown and Kilkenny City began.

This new route is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which is a major national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the Transport for Ireland (TFI) Network.

Route 891 operates five daily return services Monday to Saturday, with four daily return services on Sundays and public holidays.

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The service provides peak-time and late evening services while enhancing connectivity to regional bus and rail services, Kilmoganny and Stoneyford Health Centres, and Tullahought Community Centre.

The route also offers connectivity to the villages and areas of Ormonde Road, College Road, Springhill, Danesfort, Ennisnag, Stoneyford, Kells, Dunnamaggin, Kilmoganny, Tullahought, Carrick-on-Suir, Dunbane Road and Piltown.

Green Party councillor Maria Dollard welcomed the announcement earlier this month, stating that the service 'will be a great benefit to Kilkenny people who want and need to go between Kilkenny and South Kilkenny'.

"The people of Stoneyford, Kells, Pilltown and Fiddown have been calling for this service for a long time now," she said.

"I’m delighted that we have it at last and encourage people to use it, even if they are used to their cars up to now.

"Replacing some or all of our predictable or regular travel journeys goes a long way to reduce cost of travel.

"Young people under 26 can avail of much cheaper travel and everyone has seen fares reduced during the term of the last government thanks to Green Party policy to reduce fare and increase public transport in rural Ireland.

"Older people and people with disabilities especially benefit from the introduction of these services because they rightly point out that a free travel pass is only useful if you have access to public transport."

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