Bengaluru drops to 6th place in 2023 from 2nd place in 2022 in global traffic congestion ranking

The traffic police said the slight improvement in travel time and average speed in the city is due to prioritising traffic management over enforcement

In 2023, the most challenging day for commuting in Bengaluru was September 27, requiring an average travel time of 32 minutes and 50 seconds to cover 10 km. This was the day when the Outer Ring Road was jam-packed.  | Photo Credit:

In 2023, Bengaluru was adjudged the sixth most congested city in the world in terms of traffic on its streets, as per the traffic index from TomTom, a Dutch location technology firm. However, this marks an improvement in the city’s traffic congestion as the same report for 2022 ranked Bengaluru as the second most congested city for that year. Despite this improvement, Bengaluru remained India’s most congested city in 2023.

According to the report, the average duration to traverse 10 km in Bengaluru was 28 minutes and 10 seconds in 2023, showing a slight enhancement from the 29 minutes recorded in 2022. The average speed during peak hours in 2023 was 18 kmph, up from 14 kmph in 2022.

Traffic Index Ranking 2023

World Rank	City	Average travel time per 10 km	Change from 2022
1	London	37 min 20 sec	+1 min
2	Dublin	29 min 30 sec	+1 min
3	Toronto	29 min	+50 sec
4	Milan	28 min 50 sec	+20 sec
5	Lima	28 min 30 sec	+1 min 20 sec
6	Bengaluru	28 min 10 sec	-1 min
7	Pune	27 min 50 sec	+30 sec
8	Bucharest	27 min 40 sec	+20 sec
9	Manila	27 min 20 sec	+20 sec
10	Brussels	27 min	+20 sec

The report reveals that an average Bengaluru commuter spent a total of 257 hours on the road during peak hours in 2023, of which 132 hours could be attributed to congestion. Specifically, on Fridays between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., the average time to drive 10 km in Bengaluru was 36 minutes and 20 seconds.

M.N. Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, drew attention to the fact that Bengaluru stands alone among the top 10 cities in having decreased the average time to cover 10 km by one minute when compared with 2022. Other cities added more minutes in 2023.

Mr. Anucheth attributes the improvement to the emphasis on traffic management rather than enforcement. “The entire resource is now deployed for traffic management in the city. Additionally, we have identified five corridors with high traffic density, addressing issues through prompt measures such as adjusting signal timings, relocating bus stands, and leveraging technology to identify congestion factors. Our response mechanism has improved, allowing us to identify and resolve on-ground issues,” he added.

In 2023, the most challenging day for commuting in Bengaluru was September 27, requiring an average travel time of 32 minutes and 50 seconds to cover 10 km. This was the day when the Outer Ring Road was jam-packed and internationally renowned stand-up comic Trevor Noah cancelled his show in the city.

As per the report, other congested cities in India include Pune, securing the seventh position worldwide. While Delhi holds the 44th position, Mumbai holds the 54th position in the world rankings.

In 2023, London is in the top position among the world’s most congested cities, registering an average speed of 14 kmph during peak hours. It is followed by Dublin in Ireland, Toronto in Canada, Milan in Italy, and Lima in Peru, all with average speeds of 16 kmph, 18 kmph, 17 kmph, and 17 kmph, respectively.