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10 cities in the world with worst traffic jams

Last updated on: September 09, 2014 16:28 IST

Heavy traffic is seen on the streets of Moscow during the evening rush hour. Photograph: Anton Golubev/Reuters

People living in cities are the worst victims of traffic congestion. And their woes just get worse every year.

A traffic index created by TomTom, a navigation and GPS systems manufacturer, lists the cities which bear the brunt of traffic snarls.

For instance, a TomTom's study reveals that drivers in China spend an average of nine working days a year stuck in traffic.

The index measures travel time throughout the day and during peak periods and compares them with travel time during non-congested periods.

The difference is expressed as a total average percentage Congestion level.

The TomTom Traffic Index compares travel time during non-congested hours with travel times in peak hours experienced by passenger vehicles.

Take a look at 10 cities across the world with the worst traffic woes…

Traffic crawls around the inner ring road in central Moscow. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters

Moscow

Rank: 1

Country: Russia

Congestion level: 74%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 76 min

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 128 hours

Congestion level on highways: 79%

Congestion on non-highways: 72%

Bosphorus suspension bridge in Istanbul. Photograph: Reuters

Istanbul

Rank: 2

Country: Turkey

Congestion level: 62%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 66 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 120 hours

Congestion level on highways: 73%

Congestion on non-highways: 54%

Halley Pacheco de Oliveira/Wikimedia Commons

Rio de Janeiro

Rank: 3

Country: Brazil

Congestion level: 55%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 59 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 114 hours

Congestion level on highways: 45%

Congestion on non-highways: 58%

Traffic in Mexico City. Photograph: Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters

Mexico City

Rank: 4

Congestion level: 54%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 53 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 107 hours

Congestion level on highways: 43%

Congestion on non-highways: 60%

A general view shows the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge in Sao Paulo. Photograph: Reuters

Sao Paulo

Rank: 5

Country: Brazil

Congestion level: 46%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 48 min

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 102 hours

Congestion level on highways: 30%

Congestion on non-highways: 52%

Quattro Canti, officially known as Piazza Vigliena, is a Baroque square in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Photograph, courtesy: Bengt Nyman/Wikimedia Commons

Palermo

Rank: 6

Country: Italy

Congestion level: 39%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 37 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 87 hours

Congestion level on highways: 29%

Congestion on non-highways: 45%

People walk along an illuminated Royal Route in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Warsaw

Rank: 7

Country: Poland

Congestion level: 39%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 43 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 96 hours

Congestion level on highways: 37%

Congestion on non-highways: 41%

A woman dressed in a burlesque costume performs during a flash mob to mark Valentine's Day in Rome. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Rome

Rank: 8

Country: Italy

Congestion level: 37%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 40 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 92 hours

Congestion level on highways: 26%

Congestion on non-highways: 41%

Traffic near Los Angeles International Airport. Photograph: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

Los Angeles

Rank: 9

Country: United States

Congestion level: 36%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 39 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 90 hours

Congestion level on highways: 34%

Congestion on non-highways: 38%

A woman cycles past a restaurant near Dublin city centre. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

Dublin

Rank: 10

Country: Ireland

Congestion level: 35%

Delay per hour driven in peak period: 43 minutes

Delay per year with a 30 minute travel: 96 hours

Congestion level on highways: 27%

Congestion on non-highways: 42%

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