This is Bristol --
BRISTOL is the most congested city in Britain, research has revealed.
A study found that the average journey time in Bristol is 31 per cent longer than it would be on a clear run – worse even than in London, where trips take 27.5 per cent longer.
The 2012 Congestion Index, published by sat-nav manufacturer TomTom, also found that a Bristol peak time journey typically took 56 per cent longer in the morning and 64 per cent longer in the evening than in "free flow" conditions.
It means that a 60-minute journey in Bristol takes 98 minutes in the evening peak.
The figures also show that drivers with a 30-minute commute waste 86 hours a year stuck in traffic jams and face a delay of 36 minutes for every hour they drive in peak periods.
Unsurprisingly, the worst times of congestion are Monday mornings and Friday evenings. The statistics also showed that the worst day of congestion last year was Friday, November 23.
This can probably be put down to the weather, as at that time the Bristol area had suffered many days of torrential downpours which caused floods, and high winds brought down trees, meaning traffic ground to a standstill.
In the city centre overflowing drains caused flooding in Whiteladies Road, St Augustine's Parade and Baldwin Street, while police urged motorists to stick to main roads and only make journeys if necessary.
Bristol mayor George Ferguson told The Post: "Of course there's congestion in Bristol – and that's why I am prepared to tackle it as radically as I am.
"Nevertheless, I do question whether it's the most congested city in Britain – I don't think it is, but I do think we have too many cars.
"Car ownership though is a reflection of Bristol's relative prosperity – we are the most prosperous core city in Britain outside London.
"It shows we have got to take measures to deal with congestion – that's what I am doing with residents' parking zones (RPZs) and other measures beyond that.
"We are also making a huge investment in public transport through the city deal and through the Greater Bristol Metro project.
"I take this data not as an insult, but as a challenge."
Other cities to feature for bad congestion included London, Leeds and Nottingham.
London did not score as badly as might be expected.
Its evening traffic flows were better than those in Bristol, Leeds/Bradford and Manchester.
While Bristol was the worst in Britain for congestion, the only city worse in the UK was Belfast, where the average journey for drivers takes 32.1 per cent longer than it would do if traffic moved freely.
The data shows that the very worst commutes registered across Europe were in the Russian and Turkish capitals.
TomTom's data from 161 cities worldwide throughout last year shows Moscow motorists have the worst traffic jams on the planet.
The average journey is a painstaking 66 per cent slower than it should be, in Istanbul it is 55 per cent and in Warsaw, 42 per cent.
Marseille, Palermo, Paris, Rome, Stuttgart, Sydney and Los Angeles are all worse for drivers with more jams than anywhere in Britain, according to the TomTom Congestion Index.
The firm's head of traffic, Ralf-Peter Schafer, said the figures were regularly used to help local authorities plan their transport policies.
He said: "This detailed knowledge of the entire road network helps businesses and governments make more informed decisions about how best to tackle and avoid congestion.
"Our traffic database contains more than six trillion data measurements. This helps us determine which routes are the least busy and what times of day are best." Reported by This is 6 hours ago.
BRISTOL is the most congested city in Britain, research has revealed.
A study found that the average journey time in Bristol is 31 per cent longer than it would be on a clear run – worse even than in London, where trips take 27.5 per cent longer.
The 2012 Congestion Index, published by sat-nav manufacturer TomTom, also found that a Bristol peak time journey typically took 56 per cent longer in the morning and 64 per cent longer in the evening than in "free flow" conditions.
It means that a 60-minute journey in Bristol takes 98 minutes in the evening peak.
The figures also show that drivers with a 30-minute commute waste 86 hours a year stuck in traffic jams and face a delay of 36 minutes for every hour they drive in peak periods.
Unsurprisingly, the worst times of congestion are Monday mornings and Friday evenings. The statistics also showed that the worst day of congestion last year was Friday, November 23.
This can probably be put down to the weather, as at that time the Bristol area had suffered many days of torrential downpours which caused floods, and high winds brought down trees, meaning traffic ground to a standstill.
In the city centre overflowing drains caused flooding in Whiteladies Road, St Augustine's Parade and Baldwin Street, while police urged motorists to stick to main roads and only make journeys if necessary.
Bristol mayor George Ferguson told The Post: "Of course there's congestion in Bristol – and that's why I am prepared to tackle it as radically as I am.
"Nevertheless, I do question whether it's the most congested city in Britain – I don't think it is, but I do think we have too many cars.
"Car ownership though is a reflection of Bristol's relative prosperity – we are the most prosperous core city in Britain outside London.
"It shows we have got to take measures to deal with congestion – that's what I am doing with residents' parking zones (RPZs) and other measures beyond that.
"We are also making a huge investment in public transport through the city deal and through the Greater Bristol Metro project.
"I take this data not as an insult, but as a challenge."
Other cities to feature for bad congestion included London, Leeds and Nottingham.
London did not score as badly as might be expected.
Its evening traffic flows were better than those in Bristol, Leeds/Bradford and Manchester.
While Bristol was the worst in Britain for congestion, the only city worse in the UK was Belfast, where the average journey for drivers takes 32.1 per cent longer than it would do if traffic moved freely.
The data shows that the very worst commutes registered across Europe were in the Russian and Turkish capitals.
TomTom's data from 161 cities worldwide throughout last year shows Moscow motorists have the worst traffic jams on the planet.
The average journey is a painstaking 66 per cent slower than it should be, in Istanbul it is 55 per cent and in Warsaw, 42 per cent.
Marseille, Palermo, Paris, Rome, Stuttgart, Sydney and Los Angeles are all worse for drivers with more jams than anywhere in Britain, according to the TomTom Congestion Index.
The firm's head of traffic, Ralf-Peter Schafer, said the figures were regularly used to help local authorities plan their transport policies.
He said: "This detailed knowledge of the entire road network helps businesses and governments make more informed decisions about how best to tackle and avoid congestion.
"Our traffic database contains more than six trillion data measurements. This helps us determine which routes are the least busy and what times of day are best." Reported by This is 6 hours ago.