Deadline extended for Laois residents to give their views for commuting survey

Laois commuters who haven't given their views and experience of what it is like to get to work from their homes in Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick and other parts of Laois have been given more time to take part in a survey. 

Laois County Council told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that they are extending the deadline for their Commuter Survey by a week. Early results show that a quarter of those who have taken the survey so far have a journey of up to 120 minutes to work by car or public transport.

County Hall says the survey is being run to capture the commuting patterns of Laois residents who work outside the county, in a bid to help market the county from an economic point of view as a destination of choice for investment.

Available at laois.ie/survey, the survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and remains open until February 24.

Dom Reddin, Acting Head of Enterprise at Laois County Council says: “We are really pleased with the numbers of residents who have responded to our survey so far. It is providing us with very valuable insights as, for the first time ever, we are hearing directly from Laois commuters about their experiences. The insights of Laois commuters matter to us and will help shape policies that make working closer to home a reality, reduce travel times and strengthen our local economy. This is real community engagement, and I would urge those who haven’t yet completed our survey, to do so”.

MORE BELOW PHOTO.

Portlaoise Train Station.

The anonymous survey is gathering insights into: Where Laois commuters travel for work and how often. Their current work status and commuting habits. Educational background, professional skills, and employment sectors and attitudes toward living and working in Laois, including willingness to work locally or remotely.

Angela McEvoy, Director of Services at Laois County Council, says: “The survey’s findings will identify key locations within Laois where skills and talent are concentrated. This will allow us to develop strategies which will attract investment and stimulate future economic development.

All survey feedback will help us determine what factors influence commuting decisions and what supports could encourage more local employment opportunities, copper fastening Laois’s continued growth as an excellent place to live and work.".

The survey is being carried out by leading Market Research Company, Interactions Research.

READ ALSO: Lack of late trains to Laois is 'exhausting' on Portlaoise commuters

Previous studies have estimated that at least 10,000 people commute outside of Laois for work.