Bengaluru is world's second slowest city to drive in after London | Azad Times

Bengaluru is the second slowest city to drive in globally, according to the 12th edition of the TomTom Traffic Index released on Wednesday, February 15. The study details traffic trends across 389 cities in 56 countries throughout 2022. TomTom assessed traffic in each city and the cost of driving in terms of time, money, and the environmental impact of a driven mile.

In 2022, it took an average of 29 minutes and 9 seconds to travel 10 km in Bengaluru city, making it the second slowest city to drive in after London. The United Kingdom capital ranks first with an average of 36 minutes and 20 seconds to travel 6.2 miles (10 km) in central London in 2022. Meanwhile, Dublin, the Japanese town of Sapporo, and Milan in Italy rank third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

The study also found that Bengaluru ranks fourth in the number of hours lost in traffic, with 129 hours lost due to rush-hour traffic. Even with flexible working arrangements and the option to work remotely, the time people lost in global cities due to rush-hour traffic only increased over the past year. The most amount of time was lost due to traffic in Dublin with 140 hours.

The cost of traffic jams on the driver's wallet is also quite significant, the report said. While London topped the list with the highest carbon dioxide emissions per driven mile during rush hour, Bengaluru ranked fifth. The study took into account the time, cost, and CO2 emission per mile driven, and simulated how long it took to complete a 10km (or 6-mile) trip within a city. The exercise was conducted for typical EV, petrol, and diesel cars.

Bengaluru has been grappling with traffic congestion for many years, which has only worsened with the growth of the city's population and the increasing number of vehicles on its roads.

Read: Here’s how Bengaluru’s new Traffic Commissioner plans to decongest roads