London named world’s most congested city with cycle lanes to blame – ‘negative impact’

Drivers in the capital will lose an average of 148 hours in a year stuck in traffic, more than double the national average of 73 hours. London beat out the likes of Paris (140 hours lost), Brussels (134), Moscow (108) and New York (102) to be the most congested city in the world.

He said: “It’s incredibly simplistic for Inrix to suggest that the use of roads is all about supply and demand, without considering how efficiently that road space is used.

“On Blackfriars Bridge, cycle lanes take up 20 percent of the road space but move 70 percent of the people across it at peak times, with cycle lanes across London moving more people more efficiently in less space.

“Inrix are focused on the tarmac available for cars, when the question should be how we use and allocate that space better, changing travel behaviours and reducing congestion in the process,” he added.

Congestion in the UK is estimated to cost £8billion per year, with a cost to driver of £595, up from £303 in 2020.

As a result of the pandemic, driving habits have changed massively across the country with the numerous national and regional lockdowns affecting data.

The emergence of the Omicron variant could lead to further alterations in data which are felt in the years to come.

With the criticism of cycle lanes contributing to congestion, the Government announced plans to change the Highway Code in January 2022.

The driving law changes are set to create a “hierarchy of road users” by giving priority to cyclists and pedestrians to make roads safer.

The most congested cities in the UK

1. London
2. Cambridge
3. Bristol
4. Exeter
5. Cheltenham
6. Manchester
7. Belfast
8. Birmingham
9. Nottingham
10. Hull