Skip to main content

Peru's ‘chaotic’ traffic problems

Peru's ‘chaotic’ urban transport system generates losses of US$20 billion a year due to health, transport and economic costs, according to state news agency Andina. Luis Gutiérrez, head of Latin American BRT association (SIBRT), said accidents, pollution-caused breathing problems and sedentary-related illnesses cost US$8 billion a year in Peru, while transport-related problems such as time wasted in traffic and higher gasoline consumption cost another US$8 billion. The remaining US$4 billion is the impact o
August 7, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

Peru's ‘chaotic’ urban transport system generates losses of US$20 billion a year due to health, transport and economic costs, according to state news agency Andina.

Luis Gutiérrez, head of Latin American BRT association (SIBRT), said accidents, pollution-caused breathing problems and sedentary-related illnesses cost US$8 billion a year in Peru, while transport-related problems such as time wasted in traffic and higher gasoline consumption cost another US$8 billion. The remaining US$4 billion is the impact on families' budgets.

Gutiérrez said traffic improvements could reduce those costs to US$10 billion a year, adding that Peru would have to invest US$5.75 billion in 12 cities that are home to 50 per cent of the country's population to improve traffic, with 70 per cent of the cost coming from private investors.

Peru is investing heavily to try to alleviate traffic in Lima. Metro line 1 metro line is currently operating, construction for metro line 2 is about to begin, which it is anticipated will cut travel times by 50 per cent, and two others are in the pipeline.

Related Content

  • Transport in the round
    October 13, 2015
    The ITF’s Mary Crass tells Colin Sowman why future transport demands will require governments to overcome the silo effect of individual single-modal authorities. The only global multimodal transport policy organisation,” is how Mary Crass describes the International Transport Forum (ITF), which is housed at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). As head of policy and summit preparation at the ITF she says: “All other organisations are either regional or have a modal focus, we cove
  • Ukraine’s ITS in a time of war
    May 12, 2023
    Following invasion by Russia, work on ITS projects has stopped in Ukraine – but the state road agency and private contractors have pivoted to providing essential services instead
  • 'Significant and universal decline' in walking in the US: StreetLight Data
    February 16, 2024
    Walking has declined over the last three years in the US – yet pedestrian fatalities have been rising. Adam Hill looks at new research from StreetLight Data to find out why this is happening
  • New York's congestion charging scheme is finally underway
    January 6, 2025
    First US city to introduce such a scheme: drivers now pay $9 per day