According to a study conducted by a US-based private non-profit research organization, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), three cities in India—Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, Calcutta (Kolkata), and Arrah in Bihar—have secured positions among the world’s 10 slowest cities in terms of traffic speeds. The study analyzed over 1,200 cities in 152 countries and focused on urban transportation in both developed and developing nations.
Key Findings from the Report:
- Global Rankings: Bhiwandi, Calcutta, and Arrah featured prominently on the list of cities with the slowest traffic speeds on the speed index.
- International Comparison: The report highlighted that while Flint in the United States had the highest average travel speed of motor vehicles throughout the day, Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, had the slowest speed. Meanwhile, Bogota in Colombia was identified as the most congested city.
- Regional Trends: Notably, nine out of the ten cities with the slowest uncongested traffic speeds were located in Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria.
- Data Source: The researchers used data from Google Maps to analyze traffic patterns in more than 1,000 cities with populations exceeding 300,000.
Rankings of Indian Cities:
- Bhiwandi secured the 5th position among the world’s 20 slowest cities on the speed index.
- Calcutta (Kolkata) followed closely in the 6th position.
- Arrah in Bihar ranked 7th.
- Other Indian cities in the rankings included Bihar Sharif (11th), Mumbai (13th), Aizawl (18th), Bengaluru (19th), and Shillong (20th).
Traffic Congestion Rankings:
- Bengaluru was ranked 8th among the world’s top 20 congested cities.
- Mumbai and Delhi also featured in the rankings, securing the 13th and 20th positions, respectively.
Urban Transportation Disparities:
The report highlighted significant disparities in urban transportation speeds between rich and poor countries. Travelers in wealthier nations experience speeds approximately 50 percent higher than those in less affluent countries.
Data Collection Methodology:
NBER researchers collected an extensive dataset between June 12 and November 5, 2019, consisting of 582,956,059 instances of 18,967,344 trips spanning 1,228 cities worldwide. In India, the study covered 173 cities and collected 66 million trip instances.
These findings shed light on the traffic challenges faced by cities in India and other developing countries and underscore the need for comprehensive transportation planning and infrastructure development to improve urban mobility.
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Source: The Telegraph
