Global congestion up – but new technology signals way forward

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 4, 2019   TomTom (TOM2) today released the results of the TomTom Traffic Index, a report detailing the traffic situation in 403 cities in 56 countries around the world. Mumbai takes the top spot this year with drivers in the Indian city expecting to spend an average of 65% extra travel time stuck in traffic. Next in the global rankings are Colombian capital, Bogota (63%), Lima in Peru (58%), New Delhi in India (58%) and Russian Capital, Moscow (56%), making up the top five most congested cities in the world.

With Moscow taking the lead in Europe, Istanbul (53%) came a close second with Bucharest (48%) Saint Petersburg (47%) and Kiev (46%) making up the top five. Brussels (37%), London (37%) and Paris (36%) ranked in at 11th, 12th and 13th respectively.*

North America’s top five most congested cities are Mexico City (52%), Los Angeles (41%), Vancouver (38%), New York (36%) and San Francisco (34%).

Congestion Up, Globally

Traffic congestion has increased globally during the last decade, and nearly 75% of the cities TomTom includes in the new Traffic Index report had increased or stable congestion levels between 2017 and 2018, with only 90 cities showing measurable decreases.

There are significant differences between continents: for example, decreases were measured in Asia, with a large decrease in congestion (-8%) in Jakarta, while nearly every city in South America posted increases, the largest (8%) taking place in Lima, Peru.

Hope on the horizon

Ralf-Peter Schäfer, TomTom’s VP of Traffic information, said: “Globally, traffic congestion is rising. And that’s both good, and bad, news. It’s good because it indicates a strong global economy, but the flip side is drivers wasting time sitting in traffic, not to mention the huge environmental impact.”

TomTom has been collecting traffic information and providing traffic services for nearly a decade, allowing drivers to make smarter choices in route planning and avoiding congestion. And the location technology specialist’s work on the future of driving – from high definition maps for autonomous vehicles, to efficient electric vehicle routing and charging – means that car makers, technology companies, road authorities and governments already have the tools to make the roads less congested.

Schäfer continues: “At TomTom, we’re working towards a future where vehicles are electric, shared and autonomous so that our future really is free of congestion and emissions. We have the technology to make this future happen – but it takes a collaborative effort. From road authorities, to governments; car makers to car drivers, we all have a part to play.”

People can find out more about the TomTom Traffic Index, and discover where their home city ranks at http://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index. There’s also helpful advice on beating traffic congestion. The Traffic Index website has been revamped so it is easier than ever to explore city statistics and insights – as well as real-time, live traffic information.

 

Ranking of the most congested cities Globally (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Mumbai, India	65%	6	Istanbul, Turkey	53%
2	Bogota, Colombia	63%	7	Jakarta, Indonesia	53%
3	Lima, Peru	58%	8	Bangkok, Thailand	53%
4	New Delhi, India	58%	9	Mexico City, Mexico	52%
5	Moscow, Russia	56%	10	Recife, Brazil	49%

 

Ranking of the most congested cities in Europe (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Moscow, Russia	56%	6	Novosibirsk, Russia	44%
2	Istanbul, Turkey	53%	7	Athens, Greece	40%
3	Bucharest, Romania	48%	8	Rome, Italy	39%
4	Saint Petersburg, Russia	47%	9	Warsaw, Poland	39%
5	Kiev, Ukraine	46%	10	Yekaterinburg, Russia	37%

 

Ranking of the most congested cities in North America (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Mexico City, Mexico	52%	6	Toronto, Canada	32%
2	Los Angeles, USA	41%	7	San Jose, USA	32%
3	Vancouver, Canada	38%	8	Seattle, USA	32%
4	New York, USA	36%	9	Miami, USA	30%
5	San Francisco, USA	34%	10	Chicago, USA	28%

 

 

Ranking of the most congested cities in South America (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Bogota, Colombia	63%	6	Santiago, Chile	40%
2	Lima, Peru	58%	7	Salvador, Brazil	38%
3	Recife, Brazil	49%	8	Buenos Aires, Argentina	36%
4	Sao Paolo, Brazil	42%	9	Fortaleza, Brazil	35%
5	Rio De Janeiro	42%	10	Porto Alegre, Brazil	33%

 

Ranking of the most congested cities in Asia (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Mumbai, India	65%	6	Tel Aviv, Israel	42%
2	New Delhi, India	58%	7	Zhuhai, China	42%
3	Jakarta, Indonesia	53%	8	Guangzhou, China	42%
4	Bangkok, Thailand	53%	9	Tokyo, Japan	41%
5	Chongqing, China	44%	10	Beijing, China	40%

 

Ranking of the most congested cities in Africa (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – all population sizes):

1	Cairo, Egypt	44%	6	Durban, S. Africa	18%
2	Cape Town, S. Africa	31%	7	Bloemfontein, S. Africa	12%
3	Johannesburg, S. Africa	30%
4	Pretoria, S. Africa	24%
5	East London, S. Africa	20%

 

Ranking of the most congested cities in Australia and Oceania (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – all population sizes):

1	Sydney, Australia	34%	6	Adelaide, Australia	23%
2	Auckland, New Zealand	29%	7	Gold Coast, Australia	23%
3	Melbourne, Australia	29%	8	Hamilton, New Zealand	22%
4	Wellington, New Zealand	27%	9	Christchurch, New Zealand	21%
5	Brisbane, Australia	25%	10	Hobart, New Zealand	21%

 

*of cities with a population of more than 800,000

-ENDS-

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