Skip to main content

Report reveals increase in road congestion levels

Research by the traffic management company TomTom has found that over the past year, congestion levels have become more severe in eleven of the UK's seventeen largest cities, including London, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Brighton, Belfast and Newcastle It states that on average, the overall amount of time that commuters spent stuck in traffic was nine working days. Congestion levels remained static in Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham. In contrast, congestion levels fell in Nottingham, Leeds, Brad
November 6, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Research by the traffic management company 1692 TomTom has found that over the past year, congestion levels have become more severe in eleven of the UK's seventeen largest cities, including London, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Brighton, Belfast and Newcastle

It states that on average, the overall amount of time that commuters spent stuck in traffic was nine working days. Congestion levels remained static in Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham.

In contrast, congestion levels fell in Nottingham, Leeds, Bradford and Edinburgh. TomTom attributes the higher congestion levels to the upturn in the economy, which has resulted in more traffic on the roads.

However, it also suggests that in some places it could have been caused by the introduction of more cycle lanes and pedestrian zones, which has taken away some road space. The Government forecasts that traffic on local roads will increase by 41 per cent by 2040, whilst traffic on motorways will increase by 46 per cent.

Related Content

  • February 2, 2012
    Variable message signs continue to deliver travel information
    Arguably the 'face' of ITS, variable message signs are far from being a passing solution
  • March 16, 2012
    New York to pilot cordon-based congestion charging
    From 2009, if all goes to plan, New York will run a three-year cordon-based congestion charging pilot - the first in the US. Upon accession, US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters signalled her intention to continue her predecessor Norman Mineta's initiative to specifically target road congestion. And, with initiatives such as the US Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) Urban Partnership Program actively promoting tolling as a part of a compound solution to the problem, the way was opened for the co
  • March 16, 2012
    New York to pilot cordon-based congestion charging
    From 2009, if all goes to plan, New York will run a three-year cordon-based congestion charging pilot - the first in the US. Upon accession, US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters signalled her intention to continue her predecessor Norman Mineta's initiative to specifically target road congestion. And, with initiatives such as the US Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) Urban Partnership Program actively promoting tolling as a part of a compound solution to the problem, the way was opened for the co
  • November 13, 2012
    India to invest in transportation to boost urban economies
    Grand plans have been announced for transport investment in India aimed at boosting city economies. India’s Government Secretary for Urban Development Sudhir Krishna explains all to Jason Barnes. There are many reasons for developed countries’ high levels of urbanisation, not least of which is that the types of employment to be found in towns and cities tend to generate relatively greater wealth and so make greater contributions to a country’s economy. That creates the imperative for developing nations to f