Traffic congestion in Dubai is improving, according to new research, but motorists are still spending an average of an extra 23 percent time sitting in jams.
The TomTom Traffic Index, a global report detailing the traffic situation in 403 cities in 56 countries around the world, said that motorists spent 4 percent less time in congestion last year compared to 2017 (27 percent extra time).
The research showed that congestion levels in morning rush hour added an average 34 percent to travel times while evening travel peak added 48 percent.
Dubai ranked 202nd in the list while in Abu Dhabi, which ranked 396th, motorists add an extra 11 percent travel time stuck in traffic, unchanged compared to 2017.
Congestion levels in morning rush hour in the UAE capital added an extra 19 percent in travel time and 18 percent in the evenings.
Thomas Edelmann, managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, said: “In order to further improve road safety in the UAE we need a better understanding via better data… Traffic congestion is of key importance for road safety, because when motorists get caught in congestions, we see a lot of impolite and dangerous behaviour.
“Traffic congestion adds costs to economies via lost working hours, it adds inconvenience to drivers via extra travel time and it should be avoided from a road safety perspective. It is great to see the two main UAE cities to fare pretty well on a global level.”
Globally, Mumbai took the top spot in the list this year with drivers in the Indian city expecting to spend an average of 65 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic, followed by Colombian capital, Bogota (63 percent), Lima in Peru (58 percent), New Delhi in India (58 percent) and Russian capital, Moscow (56 percent).
Traffic congestion has increased globally during the last decade, and nearly 75 percent of the cities TomTom includes in the new Traffic Index report had increased or stable congestion levels between 2017 and 2018, with only 90 cities showing measurable decreases.
Ralf-Peter Schäfer, 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.”
