London still the world’s most congested city

Motorists in the UK capital spend over one hundred hours sitting in traffic, study shows

1. London, UK. PA

2. Chicago, USA. AP

3. Paris, France. AFP

4. Boston, USA. Reuters

5. New York City, USA. Getty

6. Bogota, Colombia. Reuters

7. Toronto, Canada. AP

8. Miami, USA. Getty

9. Palermo, Italy. Getty

10. Monterrey, Mexico. Reuters

London’s roads are the most congested in the world, and drivers there are forced to sit in traffic for an average of 156 hours, according to the latest research.

The survey, carried out by traffic information provider Inrix, covers more than 1,000 cities in 50 countries.

It is the second year in a row that UK capital has topped the global congestion ranking, with Chicago and Paris making up the top three.

Figures show life is “returning to normal” in many cities as the effect of the coronavirus pandemic recedes, the figures showed.

The length of time lost to jams in London is 5 per cent above pre-coronavirus levels, while in Chicago it is 7 per cent higher than in 2019.

London was ranked the world’s eighth most congested city in 2019.

Bob Pishue, transport 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 affecting the quality of life of commuters and residents.”

Chicago, the third-biggest city in the US by population, was found to be the world’s second most congested city last year, with drivers spending an average of 155 hours in traffic.

That was followed by the French capital Paris (138 hours) and the US city of Boston (134 hours).

The UK’s five most congested road corridors were all found in London.

The most severe was the A219 southbound from Fulham to Morden – a major route out of the capital – where drivers lost an average of 47 hours last year.

This was in part due to delays caused by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge to motorised vehicles.