Traffic congestion is getting worse

This rise in congestion is mirrored by a decline in average driving speeds across the country, falling from 37.3mph in 2023 to 36.7mph in 2024.

The research also reveals that 34 out of 35 (97% of) UK cities saw average congestion levels increase in 2024, with Southampton congestion levels increasing by more than 34% year on year.

London’s city centre remained the slowest city in the UK and in Europe to drive in, ranking fifth globally for travel time per mile. Drivers in the city took an average of 32.08 minutes to drive six miles, travelling at just 11.2mph (vs. 11.4mph in 2023).

Edinburgh’s city centre ranked second in the UK for slow travel time per mile (58th globally), with an average travel time of 26:27 minutes for a six-mile journey and an average speed of 13.6mph. And Liverpool city centre was the third slowest with 24.22 minutes for a six-mile trip, at 14.8mph (vs. 15.2mph in 2023).

Hull, Belfast and Edinburgh are Britain’s most congested cities

Hull’s city centre had the highest average congestion level out of all UK cities, reaching an average congestion level of 46% (+3.6% YoY). Belfast was the second most congested city in the UK, with an average congestion level of 45%, a +10.5% YoY increase, while Edinburgh ranked third with an average congestion level of 40%, a +6.5% increase from 2023.

The cities that saw the highest growth in congestion levels when comparing 2024 to 2023 included Southampton (+34.4%), Liverpool (+13%), Stoke on Trent (+11.7%), Manchester (+11.5%) and Nottingham (+11.3%).

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