It’s official: Aamchi Mumbai has worst traffic jams in the world

MUMBAI: Motorists in Mumbai face the worst traffic jams in not only the country, but the entire world, an international report based on extensive statistical analysis has revealed. In the country's financial capital, people spend 65% longer on the roads during peak hours on average than when the roads are free.

New Delhi, with 58% congestion, is fourth on the list, behind Bogota, Colombia (63%), and Lima, Peru (58%). All four cities are in developing countries. The fifth, Moscow (56%), too is in a country that now ranks below the developed nations in most parameters. The figures are part of the TomTom Traffic Index 2018, released by sat nav manufacturer TomTom on Tuesday.
As per the GPS-based study on traffic congestion in over 400 cities of the world, Mumbai has earned the dubious epithet of the 'Most Traffic Congested City'. The criterion for a city to be part of the analysis was a population of over eight lakh. This is the first time the study, which has been going on for over a decade, has factored in traffic congestion levels in India.
Ralf-Peter Schaefer, TomTom's VP of traffic information, said, "Globally, traffic congestion is rising. And that's both good, and bad, news. It's good because it indicates a strong global economy, but the flip side is drivers wasting time sitting in traffic, not to mention the huge environmental impact."
Unfortunately, the country has a car-centric policy, and there are no restrictions on the purchase and use of cars, especially during peak hours, said transport planner Bina Balkrishnan.
Other than taking up innovative mass transport and infra projects, said Barbara Belpaire, general manager, TomTom India, "instilling a mass transport culture and creating awareness for doing away with private transport should be the approach to ensure sustainable solutions".
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