Tech and startup capital Bengaluru remains India's most congested city in 2023, as per the traffic index released by TomTom, a Dutch location technology specialist.
According to the report, Bengaluru is in the sixth position in the global ranking of the most congested cities in 2023, improving from its second position in 2022.
The average time to cover 10 Km in Bengaluru was 28 minutes and 10 seconds last year, a slight improvement from the 29 minutes in 2022. The average speed during rush hours in 2023 was 18 kmph, resulting in Bengalureans losing 132 hours in traffic congestion in a year.
Also, read: Whitefield line boosts Bengaluru Metro's average daily ridership by 80K; cuts traffic congestion by 14%
London is at the top spot among the most congested cities in the globe in 2023, with an average speed of 14 kmph during rush hours, followed by Dublin in Ireland (16 kmph), Toronto in Canada (18 kmph), Milan in Italy (17 kmph), and Lima in Peru (17 kmph).
Other congested cities in India, according to the report, include Pune, ranking seventh globally with an average speed of 19 kmph, Delhi at the 44th position (24 kmph), and Mumbai at the 54th position (23 kmph).
The worst day for travel in Bengaluru in 2023 was identified as September 27 (Wednesday), with an average travel time of 32 minutes and 50 seconds to cover 10 kilometers. According to data, Bengaluru residents spent 257 hours driving, with 132 hours due to congestion. On Fridays, from 6 pm to 7 pm, driving 10 km took an average of 36 minutes and 20 seconds in Bengaluru.
The report also highlights potential savings for Bengaluru residents by adjusting their travel habits, with significant reductions in travel time and emissions achievable through working from home.
"Adjusting their travel habits for a 10 km commute in Bengaluru could result in savings of 51 hours of travel time and 194 kg of emissions per year for one day of working from home (Fridays), and 155 hours of travel time and 587 kg of emissions for three days of working from home (Fridays, Thursdays, Wednesdays)", it said.
"Morning rush hour in Bengaluru had an average speed of 19 km/h, taking 31 minutes to travel 10 km, while the evening rush hour had an average speed of 17 km/h, requiring 35 minutes for the same distance", it said.
Also read: Startup hub Bengaluru: What makes it the world's second slowest city
Covering 387 cities across 55 countries on six continents, the TomTom Traffic Index assesses cities based on their average travel time, fuel costs, and CO2 emissions.
"With more than half of the world's population living in urban areas, traffic congestion and its economic, ecological and health consequences have become a problem that needs to be urgently addressed”, said Ralf-Peter Schäfer, vice president of TomTom (traffic).
“Planning the future of urban areas is essential to ongoing traffic management. Large urban areas are harnessing Big Data to plan infrastructure and development that will alleviate traffic congestion. Analysis of historical traffic data can help growing cities map more efficient road systems and plan better zoning using location intelligence. Effective implementation of planning measures such as the implementation of LEZs to reduce air pollution will benefit from data from connected cars", Schäfer said.
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