Bengaluru has third slowest traffic in the world, finds TomTom Traffic Index 

The average duration to traverse 10 km in Bengaluru in 2024 was 30 minutes and 10 seconds, which is 50 seconds more than it was in 2023.
| Photo Credit: file photo

Bengaluru’s infamous traffic meant the city was ranked third slowest in travel time, after Barranquilla in Colombia and Kolkata, in the global traffic index for 2024 by Tom Tom, a Dutch location technology firm. Bengaluru was sixth in 2023 and second in 2022.

According to the report, the average duration to traverse 10 km in Bengaluru was 30 minutes and 10 seconds, which is 50 seconds more than the time in 2023. In the congestion level index, the city is ranked 68, which is a 4% jump compared to 2023.

The data shows that the average travel time in Barranquilla was 36 minutes and six seconds, and in Kolkata it was 34 minutes 33 seconds. Barranquilla and Kolkata were ranked 16th and 169th respectively in the congestion level index. 

The average speed in Bengaluru was 17.6 km/hour and this was 0.5 km/hour slower than in 2023. The average speed in Barranquilla was 21.6 km/hour and it was 14.5 km/hour in Kolkata. Owing to the slow-moving traffic, time lost during rush hours in 2024 in Bengaluru was 117 hours. 

The data for Bengaluru shows that October 5 (Saturday) was the worst day, with drivers taking 39 minutes and 21 seconds to travel 10 km. The congestion level on that day was 58%. 

In the morning rush hour, the average duration of the travel was 38 minutes and 50 seconds, with an average speed of 15.5 km/hour. The evening rush in 2024 saw an average travel time of 41 minutes and 59 seconds. The congestion level in the morning rush was 55% and it was 68% in the evening. 

Ashish Verma from the Indian Institute of Science said that though the TomTom Traffic Index is a widely recognised tool for analysing urban traffic congestion, covering 387 cities across 55 countries, its reliance on GPS-equipped vehicles limits its scope and depth, failing to account for factors like travel mode variations, seasonal changes, and urban land use.

“While the average travel time serves as a key metric, this narrow focus overlooks critical aspects such as accessibility, public transport quality, and urban planning policies, including parking allocation and high-occupancy vehicle lanes,” he said.

“The index also applies European standards universally, ignoring spatial and cultural differences, which can lead to biased results and misguided policies. Expanding the index to include additional metrics like emission levels, fuel consumption, and road network intensity could provide a more comprehensive view of transportation systems, reflecting efficiency and environmental impact,” he added.