If you think that traffic in Delhi or Mumbai takes a toll on you, you would be surprised to know that it is Bengaluru that takes the lead. The IT capital of the country is not only the most traffic congested city in India but also the world, revealed by Tom Tom, said a Dutch independent location technology specialist.
The Tom Tom Index as it is known, drivers in Bengaluru spend about 71 percent extra travel time, all because of being stuck in traffic.
Right after Bengaluru is Manila, the capital of Philippines. Even here people spend similar amount of extra time. Bogota has people spending 68 percent of their time. Fourth in position is Mumbai at 65 percent, and Pune comes down to be fifth. Therefore, three out of the top five cities in the world are from India.
For Europe, the top spot has been taken by Moscow, with second being Istanbul, Kyiv, Bucharest and fifth spot being St. Petersburg.
Talking about the United States, Los Angeles beat New York to second spot, followed by San Francisco, San Jose, with the fifth spot being Seattle.
In the last ten years, the traffic congestion has seen a global increase. In fact, there has been an inclusion of 239 cities (57 per cent) TomTom included in the new Traffic Index report had increased congestion levels between 2018 and 2019, with only 63 cities showing measurable decreases," said TomTom in the ninth edition of its annual traffic index.
Though traffic congestion is a sign of strong economy, TomTom said the choking actually costs economies billions of dollars, with the global average congestion level at 29 per cent.
"Globally, there's a long road to travel until congestion levels are brought under control. In time, the rise of autonomous vehicles and car-sharing services will help alleviate congestion, but planners and policymakers can't afford to sit and wait," said TomTom's traffic information vice president Ralf-Peter Schafer in a statement.
As part of its services, the Dutch company analyses real-time incidents and congestion to predict traffic before it occurs, enabling TomTom navigation software to be more relevant with improved route calculations and better estimated time of arrival.
According to the Dutch company, using its services can help commuters save time, fuel and avoid stress for drivers, fleet and logistics providers and others.
Aiming at the future, TomTom is developing high definition maps for autonomous cars and creating efficient electric vehicle routes where the vehicles can be routed and charged.
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