The 14th edition of the TomTom Traffic Index indicated that the average duration to travel 10 km during peak hours on Mumbai's streets increased to 29.26 minutes in 2024 from 21.20 minutes in the previous year (2023). This leads to a drop in the city's ranking on the slow-moving traffic index from 52 to 39.
With approximately 2,300 cars per km of road, Mumbai faces severe traffic and pollution challenges.
They examined 500 cities in 62 nations, showing that global congestion rose in 2024.
Every year, cities move goods, people and ideas. What can we learn from their traffic patterns to help create a world where cities flow freely?
— TomTom (@TomTom) January 8, 2025
Find the top stories through the latest TomTom Traffic Index: https://t.co/Ny0rbopMh6#TomTom #TrafficIndex pic.twitter.com/5RUasaLUVD
However, nationally, Mumbai ranked sixth, followed by Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Pune, indicating that congestion worsened in these cities as well.
Despite a brief improvement in 2023 when the city ranked 37 with travel time of 29 minutes, Mumbai's situation has worsened, reminiscent of 2021 when it was the fifth most congested city globally. Cities like London and Dublin have also joined the slow traffic ranks, outpacing Mumbai's congestion.
On the other hand, Pune comes in fourth place internationally, with 33 minutes and 27 seconds, highlighting India’s rising urban traffic difficulties.
Experts warned that infrastructure projects such as the Coastal Road, Atal Setu and flyovers BKC, Kalanagar, Chheda Nagar and Kalina, among other projects may not solve the traffic woes due to rising vehicle numbers. They recommend measures like implementing congestion taxes, odd-even vehicle systems, and enhancing public transport.
The latest index shows cities such as London and Dublin have made it to the top 10 globally, with others such as Manila, Mexico, Brussels, Ho Chi Minh, Buenos Aires, Rome, Athens and Vienna surging ahead of Mumbai in terms of slow-moving traffic.
Here are the top 10 Indian cities with the slowest traffic:
Rank | World Rank | City | State | Average Travel Time per 10 km | Time lost during rush hours (yearly) |
1 | 2 | Kolkata | West Bengal | 34.33 minutes | 110 hours |
2 | 3 | Bengaluru | Karnataka | 34.10 minutes | 117 hours |
3 | 4 | Pune | 33.22 minutes | 108 hours | |
4 | 18 | Hyderabad | Telangana | 31.30 minutes | 85 hours |
5 | 31 | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 30.20 minutes | 94 hours |
6 | 39 | Mumbai | Maharashtra | 29.26 minutes | 103 hours |
7 | 43 | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 29.3 minutes | 73 hours |
8 | 50 | Ernakulam | Kerala | 28.30 minutes | 88 hours |
9 | 52 | Jaipur | Rajasthan | 28.28 minutes | 83 hours |
10 | 122 | New Delhi | Delhi | 23.24 minutes | 76 hours |