Traffic congestion increases travel time by 113% for Bengaluru commuters

Other key cities see at least 80% increase in travel time

India’s largest cities have seen a significant increase in travel time due to poor traffic conditions, with commuters spending between 4-6 extra days on the road every year than they would have, without congestion.

Speaking at the All India Management Association (AIMA), Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy shared his views on people breaking traffic rules and regarded Delhi as a city where 'indiscipline is the highest'.

New Delhi typically adds 23 minutes to the commute for every 10 kilometres of travel due to traffic congestion, shows data collated from location technology firm TomTom International. The situation is similar in Mumbai, which adds 22 minutes. The number increases to 32 minutes for Pune. Bengaluru is the worst, adding 36 minutes per 10 km of commute because of adverse traffic conditions

Bengaluru topped the traffic congestion ranking for India, and was the second most traffic-jammed city in 2022 out of 389 cities, according to the TomTom Traffic Index. London took the lead with an average travel time of 36 minutes and 20 seconds. Pune ranks sixth in the traffic index, New Delhi is 34, and Mumbai is 47.

This means that the average car commuter in Delhi lost four days to rush hour in 2022 for every 10 kilometres that she rode to work, which was also the case in Mumbai. A person in Pune lost 5 days to rush hour while it was six days in Bengaluru. 

Travelling during rush hours significantly impacts the environment. For a one-way commute of 10 km, a petrol vehicle emitted 1,009 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2022 in Bengaluru. Congestion through petrol accounted for 27.3 per cent share in CO2 emissions. Vehicles running on diesel emitted 954 kg of CO2 in the city, of which 251 kg was due to congestion.

In Pune, 1,001 kg of CO2 was emitted by petrol vehicles, of which 25.6 per cent was due to congestion. On the other hand, 945 kg was emitted through diesel vehicles with 24.7 per cent being due to congestion. Similar numbers are reported from New Delhi and Mumbai 

As countries such as the UK and Australia are experimenting with four-day work weeks and the work-from-home option, data shows this might help curb CO2 emissions. One day of working from home will save 201 kg of CO2, and three days will save 603 kg of CO2 in Bengaluru for a 10 km ride. Other cities see similar benefits.