Drivers waste 61 hours and £560 in fuel stuck in traffic a year as UK city named most congested in Europe
Drivers spent three per cent more time in traffic than in 2020
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Drivers in London spend roughly four days in traffic a year as congestion in the capital reaches an all-time high.
Across Europe, London has the dubious honour of being ranked the most congested city in Europe for the third year in a row.
New data found that drivers spent 99 hours sitting in traffic in 2023. This is three per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels and up from 97 hours in 2022.
The report detailed how a typical driver in the UK lost two and a half days stuck in traffic in 2023, up from 2.3 days in the previous 12 months.
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Drivers lost two and a half days stuck in traffic in 2023
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While the UK's capital has the worst traffic rates in Europe, it comes third globally, falling behind New York and Mexico City.
Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report at Inrix, said: “We are seeing travel return to pre-Covid levels.
“The UK and Europe have seen smaller increases in congestion this year than in other parts of the world which indicates that these countries have found their new travel norms.”
He explained that while London remains “most impacted” by congestion in the UK, its drop to third worldwide suggests that other large global cities have returned to pre-Covid levels of activity.
According to Inrix, the average UK driver spent 61 hours in traffic jams in 2023, costing them around £558 in fuel.
“As an indication of strong economic activity, increased congestion can be a positive sign for cities,”Pishue added.
After London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Wigan were named as the most congested cities in the UK, based on the data from the traffic experts.
To combat the poor traffic conditions, Transport for London recently updated 5,500 traffic signal sites with new technology.
The new technology by Yunex Traffic hopes to improve journey times, traffic flows and response times to incidents.
The solution will allow TfL to deliver “reliable and sustainable” journeys for all road users, across the junctions and pedestrian crossing sites in the capital.
Carl Eddleston, director of network management and resilience at TfL, explained that the new traffic management system will be a “game-changer” for London.
“It will use new data sources to better manage our road network, tackle congestion, reduce delays for people choosing healthier travel options and improve air quality,” he said.
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61 hours' worth of traffic equates to roughly £558 in fuel costs
PA
The system comes with a range of new features, including an “at-a-glance" system and junction status, and intuitive control features with context-sensitive menus.
The technology changes replaces the SCOOT system which had been operating across London for over 30 years.
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