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The TomTom report states that the worst rush of the week is seen in Delhi on Tuesday at 5-6pm, with 10km taking an average time of 28 min 10 sec to cover. The worst day to travel in New Delhi in 2023 was Jan 17, which marked the return of the cold wave in the capital. In 2023, the busiest street in the city was the C-Hexagon at India Gate.
The capital continues to navigate through the honks and the hurry, but it has come a long way from being 8th in 2020, 11th in 2021 and 34th in 2022. Traffic officers attributed the improvement in the rankings to a range of factors. HGS Dhaliwal, special commissioner of police (traffic), said that the introduction of better traffic management systems, traffic flow optimisation and synchronised traffic signals had helped reduce congestion and travel times.
“Strict enforcement of traffic rules, better implementation of speed limits and taking steps to improve road safety have also contributed to smoother traffic flow,” said Dhaliwal. The traffic signal timings are regularly audited to make sure motorists keep moving ahead smoothly. “At certain locations, one-way traffic movement and the deployment of cranes on roads have helped traffic move freely,” he added.
In terms of congestion, Delhi is the 19th worst city with a congestion of 48%, which is the same as the congestion level in 2021. Congestion leveldenotes the extra time a driver spends travelling the same distance over and above in a free-flowing condition. Addressing the cause of congestion, DrSewa Ram, professor of transport planning, School of Planning and Architecture, explained, “The continual rise in vehicle volume with stagnantcapacity is a primary problem. Additionally, the primary road network receives attention while the secondary network is neglected, in effect merely shifting congestion rather than alleviating it.”
Ram highlighted the importance of planning primary projects with consideration for the surrounding secondary network, citing the Pragati Maidan tunnel as an example. Despite its high discharge rate, he pointed out, a bottleneck is created at the entry point due to low road capacities.
Data shows that in 2023, the average speed decreased in 228 of the 387 cities analysed from those achieved in 2022. Delhi was the 11th most improved city in terms of average travel time with a decrease of 30 secs over 2022. The average travel time, as per the report, is time taken for a 10km journey in average and peak (rush hour) traffic compared with optimal traffic.
Although the city has improved significantly in the past few years, a comprehensive approach is still a must for better and free-flowing years ahead. Suggesting a way forward, Ram said, “Enhancing road capacity and constructing an additional ring and arterial road should be the long-term vision. Concurrently, implementing efficient traffic management systems and leveraging advanced technologies to prevent hotspots and unplanned congestion are crucial for short-term relief.”
This year’s edition of TomTom surveyed 387 cities around the globe and provides detailed information of traffic patterns with a share of up to 40% of traffic in city centres. London is shown as the world’s slowest city with motorists taking 37 minutes and 20 secs to cover 10km, one minute longer than last year. Dublin and Toronto are the second and third most congested, respectively.
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