Edinburgh drivers spend most time stuck in traffic

Edinburgh has been ranked the worst city in the United Kingdom for traffic congestion – for the third year running.

The capital has taken the unwanted crown yet again after it was revealed the city’s commuters endured gridlock conditions for an average of 172 hours – an equivalent of just over a week – last year.

London took second place, while Brighton and Hove took third, with Bournemouth and Hull propping up the top five for worst congestion.

The city’s closest Scottish rival was Glasgow, which fared far better – coming in at 22nd in the league table – although drivers still spent an average of 119 hours in traffic in 2019.

Edinburgh’s congestion level, which was recorded at 41%, was a marginal increase on 2018’s tally of 40%, while Glasgow’s level came in at 25%.

The day of the week which had the worst rush hour in Edinburgh was Wednesday, between 5pm and 6pm, while in Glasgow it was Thursday, also between 5pm and 6pm.

On both of these days, travelling after 6pm could have saved hours of a driver’s time throughout the space of a year.

In both of the major Scottish cities, the best day to travel in 2019 was Christmas Day, a time of year when people tend not to leave the house.

However, the city’s worst day differed. In Edinburgh it was October 29 and in Glasgow it was December 10.

The figures have been published as part of TomTom’s latest travel index and pitched Edinburgh at 33 in the world league table.

With this in mind, it might not be a huge surprise that 53% of those in the city admit to experiencing road rage.

TomTom research put this down to frustration with other drivers, getting ticked-off by a lack of indication and cyclists weaving through traffic or slowing down cars.