London had the worst traffic congestion in Europe for the fourth year in a row, with drivers spending 101 hours in traffic jams in 2024, up 2% on 2023, according to transport analytics firm Inrix, while New York has introduced congestion charge – the first US city to do so – to tackle congestion and raise billions for its public transport network, on Monday, the 6th of January, reports the BBC.
Paris was the second most congested city, with each driver spending 97 hours on the road, while Dublin came second with 81 hours.
Globally, London ranked fifth in the world in terms of congestion duration, with Istanbul coming in first, ahead of New York this year.
The rankings are based on the length of congestion and the population of each city.
The report’s author, Bob Pishue, pointed out that while congestion in London has increased slightly, it has “remained broadly constant”. London’s congestion was attributed to “the concentration of population, employment and economic activity”.
Transport for London (TfL) said it was dedicated to help people travel safely, sustainably and efficiently.
A TfL spokesperson highlighted the company’s investment in walking, cycling and public transport to reduce congestion and added: “We have the busiest roads in the country on our network and we continue to invest in world-leading programmes to make efficient use of roads.”
Meanwhile, New York has become the first US city to introduce congestion charges to tackle congestion.
Under New York’s scheme, most drivers will pay nine US dollars to enter a congested zone once a day during peak hours and 2.25 US dollars at other times. Small trucks will pay 14.40 US dollars and larger trucks and tourist buses 21.60 US dollars.
This zone includes areas south of Central Park, including the Empire State Building, Times Square and Wall Street.
According to Janno Lieber, executive director of the city’s transport authority, more than 1 400 cameras have been monitoring 400 lanes of traffic since midnight on Sunday.
Last year, New York was ranked the most congested city in the world for the second year in a row, according to Inrix.