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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The scourge of poor air quality and rising pollution levels and how they can be tackled
    December 20, 2021
    Arguably, air pollution is one of the greatest challenges facing our world today. It impacts people, economies and the environment. It is clear that policymakers must act swiftly to improve air quality. ITS has a huge role to play in providing solutions. Here, Swarco, as a solution provider, shares inside tips on how to use modern ITS to save lives, economies and the environment.
    Read More
  • Price comparison website calls for reduction of traffic lights on UK roads
    August 25, 2016
    Price-comparison website Confused.com is calling for a re-think on traffic lights in the UK in order to reduce congestion. This is supported by an Institute of Economic Affairs report which puts the cost of delays caused by traffic controls at US$21 billion (£16 billion) a year. It also states that four in five (80%) traffic lights in the UK could be removed to boost the economy and road safety. New research by Confused.com reveals that the average UK driver spends 48.5 hours a year stationary at traffic
    Read More
  • Priority boosts ridership and cuts congestion
    May 4, 2016
    Transit priority is proving a win-win in Europe and Australia. David Crawford reports. Technology that integrates with the Australian-originated Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) is driving bus signal priority and performance analysis initiatives on both sides of the world; in its homeland, with a major deployment in 2015, and in the capital of the Republic of Ireland.
    Read More
  • ITS industry needs more effort to get to the future
    January 19, 2012
    Eric Sampson, visiting professor at Newcastle University and City University London and ambassador for ITS-UK, provides a retrospective on the last couple of decades and takes a look at what the ITS industry still needs to do to get to where it needs to be
    Read More

Highlighted Content