Bengaluru, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India, has once again made international headlines for its notorious traffic jams. According to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index, the city is ranked as the third slowest in the world, only behind Barranquilla and Kolkata. The report, compiled by the Dutch tech firm TomTom, assesses traffic conditions in major cities globally, revealing that Bengaluru’s traffic flow remains a significant challenge.

The study showed that traveling just 10 kilometres in Bengaluru now takes an average of 34 minutes and 10 seconds, an increase of 50 seconds from the previous year. In comparison, Barranquilla commuters spend an average of 36 minutes and 6 seconds, while those in Kolkata take 34 minutes and 33 seconds. Pune, another Indian city, has entered the list of the slowest cities, securing fourth place.

Domestically, Kolkata ranks as the most congested city in India, with Bengaluru in second place. Last year, Bengaluru’s average time for covering 10 kilometres was 28 minutes and 10 seconds, slightly down from 29 minutes and 9 seconds in 2022. Bengaluru also had the slowest average speed among Indian cities in 2022, at just 18 km/h.

Globally, London continues to top the list for the most congested city with an average speed of 14 km/h, while other cities like Dublin, Milan, Lima, and Toronto also reported slower traffic speeds than Bengaluru. The city’s traffic woes are further worsened by its rapidly growing number of private vehicles, with around 2.5 million cars currently on the road.