The Fast, the Slow and the Congested: Urban Transportation in Rich And Poor Countries

A report titled “The Fast, the Slow and the Congested: Urban Transportation in Rich And Poor Countries” was released recently by a US-based private non-profit research organisation. According to this report, India hosts three of the ten cities with the slowest traffic speeds worldwide. This comprehensive research, which covered over 1,200 cities across 152 countries, provides valuable insights into urban transportation challenges and congestion.

Slowest Cities Worldwide

• The NBER study revealed that Bhiwandi secured the 5th position in the list of the world’s 20 slowest cities based on the speed index.
• Kolkata closely followed at the 6th position, with Arrah in Bihar at the 7th spot.
• Other Indian cities, including Bihar Sharif, Mumbai, Aizawl, Bengaluru, and Shillong, also featured in the list, highlighting the widespread issue of slow traffic speeds.

Traffic Congestion Rankings

• The study also examined traffic congestion levels, with Bengaluru ranking 8th among the world’s top 20 congested cities.
• Mumbai and Delhi were also on the list, securing the 13th and 20th positions, respectively.
• These findings align with a previous study that identified Bengaluru as the second-most congested city in the world in 2022.

Countries with Slowest Uncongested Speeds

• The NBER study noted that nine out of the 10 cities with the slowest uncongested traffic speeds are located in Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria, shedding light on a common challenge faced by these nations.
• Researchers relied on data from Google Maps to analyze traffic patterns in cities with populations exceeding 300,000.

Insights from the TomTom Traffic Index

• In addition to the NBER study, the TomTom Traffic Index also highlighted traffic congestion in Indian cities.
• According to TomTom, Bengaluru was the second-most congested city globally in 2022, with a significant increase in travel time for commuters.
• Pune ranked as the second-most congested city in India, while Delhi and Mumbai also featured among the top 50 congested cities in 2022.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2023

Category: Reports & Indexes Current Affairs