Fares announced as Kilkenny’s city bus service goes live next week
The fares have been released for Kilkenny’s new City Bus service which begins operating next Wednesday.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) are encouraging people to use cashless payment on the service and revealed the buses are set up to accept leap cards.
A special introductory fare of €1 for all passengers using leap cards will be in place for the first three months. After that the adult fare increase to €1.40 and children’s fares will be set at 0.84c.
People using the service can also pay in cash but face higher charges. Cash fares will be set at €2 per adult and €1.20 for children. Leap cards will be available to buy in shops locally.
The NTA confirmed the two bus routes will begin service on Wednesday, December 18 at 7am and will be operated by City Direct.
The two-route city network will consist of 64 stops – route KK1 runs from Loughboy Retail Park to the N77 Roundabout and serves Upper Patrick Street, McDonagh Junction, and Castlecomer Road. Route KK2 runs from Purcellsinch to St Luke’s Hospital with stops at Dublin Road, Newpark Shopping Centre, McDonagh Station, Nowlan Park, and Loreto.
The routes will cross over in the city centre around Parliament Street, Market Yard, and John Street Upper where people can transfer.
The buses will run every 30 minutes Monday through Saturday.
On Sunday the bus will run every hour, while late-night services will operate on Fridays and Saturdays.
All of the buses are wheelchair accessible and the bus stops designed to facilitate wheelchair access.
Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the NTA, said: “We are thrilled to launch the KK1 and KK2 bus routes in Kilkenny. The introduction of cross-city bus routes will deliver commuters, students, families, and visitors to their destinations quickly and comfortably in state-of-the-art buses.
“The services also offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to personal car use in Kilkenny, in line with the NTA’s commitment to the Climate Action Plan.
“Kilkenny is an up-and-coming area of the country, and these new bus services will support the city’s economic and population growth for years to come.”
