Bengaluru Has The Worst Traffic Congestion In India, Ranks 2nd Globally

The TomTom Traffic Index evaluates 387 cities across 55 countries on six continents by their average travel time, fuel costs, and CO2 emissions. This Dutch geolocation technology firm found in its latest traffic index that Bengaluru was the most congested city in India last year.

In 2023, it was the second-most congested city globally, only behind Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It maintains its position as the second-most congested city in 2022, giving the first rank to London. This data is based on over 600 million in-car navigation systems and smartphones.

In 2023, the average travel time per 10 km was 28 minutes 10 seconds in Bengaluru, as per the TomTom report. The 13th traffic index report said that the the average time it took to travel 10 kilometres in Bengaluru's city centre improved by a minute, it took a commuter 29 minutes and 10 seconds in 2022.

MN Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), highlighted the remarkable improvement in travel time, even with the addition of approximately 1 million vehicles. He emphasized that the city's traffic management efforts resulted in a positive outcome, reducing travel time while accommodating the surge in vehicles. In comparison to other cities, Bengaluru stood out as the sole entity among the top ten to achieve a decrease in travel time.

According to a report by TomTom, the congestion level in 2023, indicating the average additional time lost to traffic compared to free flow conditions, stood at 63%. Commuters in 2023 spent a considerable 132 hours, equivalent to 5 days and 12 hours, navigating through rush-hour traffic, with an average speed of 18 kilometres per hour.

TomTom's findings revealed specific details, such as an additional 15 minutes during morning rush hours and an extra 19 minutes during evening rush hours for a 10-kilometre journey in the city centre.

The report pinpointed September 27 as the worst day to travel in 2023, taking a commuter an average of 32 minutes and 50 seconds to cover 10 kilometres. On the contrary, Fridays between 6 pm and 7 pm emerged as the best time to travel, with a 10-kilometer journey taking an average of 36 minutes and 20 seconds.

This insight was particularly valuable for planning, as it allowed commuters to avoid peak congestion. Notably, the gridlock on September 27, especially on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), was attributed to factors like an upcoming long weekend. Scores of commuters faced significant delays, with some taking over five hours to cover a mere 20-kilometre distance.

In addition to Bengaluru, Pune also makes its position in the top 10 and was found to be the sixth most congested city globally last year. The average travel time per 10 kilometre was 27 minutes 50 seconds last year.

The other two metropolitan cities, Delhi and Mumbai rank 44th and 52nd respectively on the TomTom Traffic Index. The report revealed, in Delhi, on average, it took 21 minutes 40 seconds to drive 10 kilometres in 2023, and 21 minutes 20 seconds in Mumbai last year.