London remains world’s most congested city

From Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, London is known for many things, including its busy roads.

So, it might not come as a surprise to some that the capital’s roads are the most congested in the world.

Standstill in the capital

According to a report by traffic information supplier Inrix, drivers in London spent an average of 156 hours sitting in traffic in 2022, a figure that has risen 5% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

This is the second year in a row that London has topped the global congestion ranking, which covers more than 1,000 cities across 50 countries.

Research also found that the UK’s five most congested roads were all found in London – the most severe was the A219 southbound from Fulham to Morden, where drivers lost an average of 47 hours last year.

Bristol has the UK’s second worst road congestion (91 hours), followed by Manchester (84 hours), Birmingham (73 hours) and Belfast (72 hours).

Globally, Chicago in the US was found to be the world’s second most congested city in 2022, with drivers spending an average of 155 hours stuck in traffic. This was followed by Paris (138 hours) and the US city of Boston (134 hours).

The impact of busy roads

Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report, said: “It is great to see civic and commercial life returning to normal, but unfortunately, we’re seeing congestion inching closer to, if not exceeding, pre-pandemic levels.

“We must manage congestion while improving mobility and accessibility in cities to avoid it hurting economic recovery and impacting the quality of life of commuters and residents.”

Do you believe Londoners are the best drivers in the UK? Well, Londoners do. Read for more information on this study.