Location specialist, based in the Netherlands of technologies, TomTom has just published the results of its Traffic Indexan annual report detailing road traffic conditions in the region. 416 towns from 57 countries. The index is based on the percentage of extra journey time drivers spend stuck in traffic jams. TomTom notes that these have increased worldwide over the last decade. In total, 239 towns saw their congestion levels increase between 2018 and 2019, i.e. 57% of the total, compared with only 63 cities where the rate of decline was significant.
L'Asia shares with theEurope the unfortunate record of having the world's densest urban road traffic. Of the twenty most congested conurbations on the planet, Asia has no fewer than seven, on a par with Europe. However, four of these Asian cities are located in Asia. Indiathe most congested city in the world is, according to TomTom's analysis, the high-tech capital. Bangalore. Its inhabitants spend 71% more time in traffic jams than the rest of the world. Manilawhich is notorious for having road traffic at a virtual standstill 24 hours a day.
The same phenomenon of concentration can be seen in Europe, where it is mainly the cities of Russia andUkraine which are most affected by road congestion. Also in the top 20 are Grand MoscowSaint Petersburg, Kiev and Odessa. And the presence of Istanbul will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the Turkish metropolis...
Latin America comes next with five cities, while no North American city makes the top 20. Bogotá is, however, the third most congested city in the world, with 68% of extra time spent behind the wheel. In comparison, Los Angelesthe city most affected in the United States, had a percentage of only 42% and New York a percentage of 37%.
If we refine our research on European cities, the Poland stands out in the rankings. Looking only at the top 15 cities in the European Union - which still includes the United Kingdom - Poland is represented by six cities, the most congested being Lodz, Krakow and Poznan. Lodz even ranks third in the EU, just behind Bucharest and Dublin.
Surprisingly, it was in Spain are the most attractive cities in the European Union. Cadiz has a rate of 10%, Bilbao 13%, Madrid with a waiting rate of 23%, one point lower than in Rennes!
The rise of autonomous vehicles and car-sharing services will help reduce traffic congestion
The situation is not looking good for motorists at Paris which now have to contend with the removal of traffic lanes and the narrowing of carriageways planned by Paris City Council. In 2019, the time spent behind the wheel of a vehicle rose by three points, to 39%. This is slightly less than BrusselsLondon or Romewith the three capitals recording a rate of 38% while Berlin shows a rate of 32%. Marseille ranks second in France, with an estimated additional waiting rate of 34%, followed by Bordeaux with 32%.
This global increase in traffic congestion, while an indicator of a strong economy, in fact represents a cost of several billion euros to local economies. For Ralf-Peter Schäfer, TomTom Vice President in charge of traffic information, " the road remains arduous until congestion levels are brought under control. Over time, therise of autonomous vehicles and carpooling will help reduce traffic congestion ".
