Rush hour traffic jams plummet, figures show

Road congestion during traditional peak travel times in 2021 was more than a third lighter than pre-pandemic levels, according to new research.

Analysis of 25 UK towns and cities by location technology firm TomTom found that traffic jams in the morning and evening rush hours during eased by 35% compared with 2019.

This was led by reductions in Reading (53%), Southampton (52%), Coventry (45%), Stoke-on-Trent (43%) and Cardiff (40%).

TomTom attributed the decline in congestion to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the growth in online shopping.

The company’s traffic expert Andy Marchant said that “2021 was the year in which the UK’s new working habits came to the fore: home offices become standard and flexible work hours allowed many commuters to step out of rush hours”.

He added: “As a result, peak hours have decreased in all 25 UK cities included in the index.

“However, with the Government set to publish a plan on how the UK can ‘learn to live with Covid as a country’ by spring, traffic levels will likely increase as British citizens start returning to offices as part of their new working patterns.”

TomTom found that the UK was home to five of the world’s 100 most congested towns and cities last year.

They were Edinburgh (44th place), London (55th), Hull (60th), Brighton and Hove (64th) and Bournemouth (99th).

Road journeys in the Scottish capital took an average of 35% longer than if vehicles could move freely.

Mr Marchant warned that better traffic management can only improve the flow of vehicles by “up to 10%”.

Traditional congestion peaks can only be permanently stopped by more people changing how they travel, he explained.

“Cycling, public transport and other modes of transport must take a larger share in transportation,” Mr Marchant said.

“Such a redirection requires greater collaboration between UK city planners, policy makers, employers, and drivers – and it takes time.”