London ranked world’s slowest capital city
The average driver in London spent more than five days in rush hour traffic last year, with the capital ranking the worst in the world for travel time.
Tomtom found that the average motorist spent 136 hours in traffic last year, as London led its ranking of the worst global capital city for slow traffic for the third year running.
The sat-nav maker found that London’s drivers spend an average of 35 minutes and 7 seconds in a six-mile drive, up 38 seconds from 2024.
And the only global city that ranked slower for travel time is Barranquilla, Colombia’s fourth most populous city.
Based on data that Tomtom says takes into account 3.65 trillion kilometres worth of travel data, London ranked ahead of two of India’s most congested cities, Bangalore and Calcutta.
Medieval streets, modern headaches
Much of London’s traffic problem can be blamed on its Medieval muddle of narrow streets and irregular roads, according to Tomtom.
The firm’s marketing director Andy Marchant said London, whose “streets were built in the Middle Ages and expanded in the Georgian era,” wasn’t “built for the volume and variety of traffic we see today”.
He added: “We’re seeing the effects of more people heading back to the office (with many major employers returning to four or five-day office working), as well as the impact of ongoing Tube strikes.
“At the same time, there’s a growing shift towards cycling and alternative ways of getting around. Changes like the 20mph speed limits are starting to shape how people move and how safe those journeys are.”
But while the capital’s drivers are whiling away their lives in the longest traffic jams, in terms of overall congestion London only ranks 8th in the UK.
Belfast topped the list as the most congested city in Britain, pipping Edinburgh and Cambridge to the top spot.
This data comes amidst efforts to pedestrianise Oxford Street, after a one-day trial in September by the mayor of London was found to boost the local economy.