New Delhi : In 2023, London clinched the dubious title of being the slowest city to navigate globally, with an average rush hour speed of just 14 km/h, as per a report by Amsterdam-based location technology specialist, TomTom. Joining the ranks of urban traffic nightmares were two Indian cities, Bengaluru and Pune, also featured in the list of cities grappling with the most severe traffic congestion.
TomTom’s Traffic Index meticulously evaluated 387 cities across 55 countries spanning six continents, considering factors such as average travel time, fuel expenses, and CO2 emissions. Drawing data from over 600 million in-car navigation systems and smartphones, the index calculated the average travel time per kilometer based on the extensive mileage covered throughout the network in 2023.
Bengaluru and Pune emerged as the unfortunate representatives of India among the top ten cities globally plagued by traffic woes, ranking 6th and 7th, respectively. In Bengaluru, covering 10 kilometers took an average of 28 minutes and 10 seconds, while in Pune, it was slightly less at 27 minutes and 50 seconds, as per the TomTom report.
Dubbed as the IT capital of India, Bengaluru earned the unenviable distinction of being the second most congested city worldwide in 2023, closely trailing behind Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The peak of traffic misery in Bengaluru was marked on September 27, with a staggering 32-minute average travel time for a 10-kilometer drive. Similarly, Pune experienced its worst congestion on September 8, with a daunting 34-minute journey for the same distance.
The traffic woes extended to other major Indian cities, with Delhi ranking 44th and Mumbai 52nd in the TomTom Traffic Index for 2023. In Delhi, the average time to cover 10 kilometers was 21 minutes and 40 seconds, while in Mumbai, it was marginally better at 21 minutes and 20 seconds.
Meanwhile, London, with a snail-paced average travel time of 37 minutes per 10 kilometers, bore the brunt of traffic congestion in 2023, topping the list of afflicted cities. Following closely were Dublin, with 29 minutes and 30 seconds, and Toronto in Canada, where it took 29 minutes to traverse 10 kilometers. Both London and Dublin witnessed an increase of around one minute in travel time for approximately a 9-kilometer journey compared to 2022.
Overall, 2023 saw a decline in average speeds in 228 out of 387 cities analyzed by TomTom, compared to the previous year. While 82 cities experienced no change in their average speeds, 77 cities managed to improve, leading to shorter journey times. Moreover, in over 60% of the cities where fuel price data was aggregated, the average fuel budget surged by 15% or more between 2021 and 2023.
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