Edinburgh traffic ‘worse than in London’

EDINBURGH is the UK’s fourth most congested city - ahead of London - according to satnav firm TomTom, with the Scottish capital’s traffic easing only marginally in the past year.

Traffic builds up in Edinburgh. The city is the fourth-most congested in the UK, according to TomTom. Picture: TSPL

The firm, which claims to produce the “world’s most accurate barometer of traffic congestion”, placed Glasgow 16th, whose congestion levels were unchanged on last year.

Belfast was the most congested city, followed by Bristol and Brighton.

Congestion was measured in April to June compared to the same period last year.

TomTom said driving in Edinburgh took 29 per cent longer overall than if there was no congestion, but it took 66 per longer in the evening rush hour and 53 per cent longer in the morning peak.

It calculated drivers with a 30-minute commute wasted 86 hours a year in traffic jams - or more than three-and-a-half days.

The worst times for congestion were on Tuesday mornings and Wednesdays evenings.

In Glasgow, morning and evening rush hour driving took just over one third longer than without congestion, with motorists wasting 61 hours a year in jams - or nearly two-and-a-half days.

Tuesday mornings and evenings were most congested.

The rest of the top 15 was: Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Leicester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Nottingham and Southampton.

Moscow was the world’s most congested city, followed by Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, Warsaw, Palermo, Marseille, São Paulo, Rome, Paris and Stockholm.

Edinburgh City Council transport convener Lesley Hinds said: “Edinburgh is a prosperous, world-renowned city which attracts millions of visitors each year, and ensuring traffic flows as steadily as possible is vital.

“The excellent public transport system and the many miles of dedicated bus lanes help to free up congestion.”