Local bus service cuts Kildare stops

BUS company, JJ Kavanagh, has announced “a number of key route adjustments” to the 717 route from Clonmel to Dublin, coming into effect on 7 April.

One of the counties affected by the change is Kildare, with the stops Poplar Pharmacy, Post Office in Naas, The Hideout in Kilcullen and The Castle Inn stop in Athy no longer being served.

In the announcement on the company’s website it stated that the adjustments were made to “ensure our passengers can get from A to B more quickly.” 

“While we’ve had to say goodbye to several intermediate stops, we believe these changes will benefit most passengers.” 

The company posted an announcement on social media. The post was met with significant backlash from service users whose areas will no longer be served.

To this, JJ Kavanagh responded: “We understand that the recent changes to Route 717 have caused frustration for some passengers, and we want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly.” 

“After a thorough review of service performance, we found that certain bus stops had significantly low passenger numbers, making it difficult to justify their continued operation.” 

“While these changes take effect on 7th April 2025, we remain committed to offering alternative travel options where possible.” 

 “We know that any service adjustment can be inconvenient, and we appreciate your patience as we work to optimise our network to best serve the majority of our passengers.” 

“Your feedback is important, and we will continue reviewing our services to meet passenger needs as effectively as possible,” it concluded.