News Brief
Kolkata Surpasses Bengaluru As India’s Most Congested City; Three Indian Cities Feature In Global Top Five
Representative Image of Traffic
Kolkata has surpassed Bengaluru to become India's most congested city according to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index.
On the global scale, Kolkata ranks as the second slowest-moving city, just behind Barranquilla in Colombia.
It is the world's second slowest moving city trailing only behind Barranquilla.
Bengaluru and Pune follow at third and fourth spots, respectively.
Dutch technology firm TomTom annually evaluates traffic conditions in major cities worldwide.
In Kolkata, the average vehicle speed was 17.4 kmph, taking 34 minutes and 33 seconds to complete 10 kms.
Bengaluru drivers on an average needed 34 minutes and 10 seconds for the same journey, while Pune commuters completed it in an average of 33 minutes and 22 seconds.
The TomTom Traffic Index revealed that Barranquilla in Colombia ranked as the city with the lowest average speed. Drivers in Barranquilla traveled at an average speed of 10.3 mph (16.57 kmph), taking 36 minutes to complete a 10 km journey.
Three Indian cities—Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Pune—ranked among the top five globally for slowest average speeds.
Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai also ranked among India’s most congested cities, with average travel times for a 10-kilometer journey recorded at 32 minutes, 30 minutes, and 29 minutes, respectively.
Ahmedabad, Ernakulam, and Jaipur were also identified as cities with slower travel speeds.
Ahmedabad was close to Mumbai’s 29-minute travel time for 10 km journey, while Ernakulam and Jaipur averaged near 28 minutes and 30 seconds.
Interestingly, New Delhi performed significantly better, with an average travel time of 23 minutes for the same distance.
The TomTom Traffic Index employed an extensive methodology, analysing over 458 billion miles of driving data from 500 cities across 62 countries.
The report analysed both static and dynamic factors to observe traffic patterns and congestion.
"Static factors, such as road infrastructure and urban design, combine with dynamic influences like peak-hour traffic and weather conditions to shape urban mobility," it said, Economic Times reported.
