London's roads have been ranked the most congested in Europe for the third consecutive year, with drivers spending an average of 99 hours in traffic in 2023, up from 97 hours in the previous year. This ranking, reported by traffic data supplier Inrix, places London behind only New York and Mexico City globally, excluding China and India.

It’s been well noted that traffic congestion has returned to pre-Covid travel levels, with the UK and Europe experiencing smaller increases in congestion compared to other regions. Despite London's high congestion, its drop to third globally indicates that other major cities have returned to pre-pandemic activity levels also - highlighting that increased congestion can signify strong economic activity.

Inrix data revealed a 3% rise in time lost to traffic compared to pre-Covid levels. On average, UK drivers spent 61 hours in traffic last year, up from 57 hours in 2022. Other heavily congested UK cities include Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, and Wigan.

An RAC spokesperson, emphasised the negative impact of congestion, noting wasted time and fuel, and poor air quality. Cities have been urged to find solutions. While some measures like park-and-ride schemes can be costly, others, such as retiming traffic lights, are inexpensive and can improve traffic flow.