Vehicles stuck in a jam on a road in Bengaluru.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai are among the most congested cities in India.
According to data released by Netherlands-based location technology firm TomTom, Bengaluru was the second most congested city in the world in 2025, with an average speed of 16.6 km per hour and an average motorist commuting 4.2 km in 15 minutes.
Motorists in Bengaluru lost an average 168 hours last year due to traffic congestion, equivalent to seven days. This figure was 12 hours 46 minutes more than that in 2024.
Mexico recorded the highest congestion levels globally. Pune was ranked fifth and was the second Indian city to feature in the global top 10 in terms of congestion. Ireland's Dublin and Lodz in Poland occupy the third and fourth ranks, respectively.
Motorists in Mumbai lost 126 hours a year, with average speeds hovering at 20.8 kmph. New Delhi, recorded a congestion level of 60.2 per cent, with motorists losing 104 hours annually, equivalent to four days and eight hours.
Nationally, Bengaluru was ranked the most congested city in India, followed by Pune, Mumbai and New Delhi. Among metro cities, Mumbai topped the list, followed by Bengaluru and Delhi.
Bengaluru's traffic worsens during the morning rush hour, which was not defined by the Dutch agency, with a 10 km drive taking 41 minutes and 6 seconds. The average congestion level during this time was at 94.2 per cent, with an average speed of 14.6 kmph.
It seems to get worse during the evening rush hour, with people taking an average of 45 minutes and 27 seconds to cover a stretch of 10 km. The average congestion during this time was 115.2 per cent and the average speed reported was 13.2 kmph.
Worst day: May 17, 2025
TomTom says that May 17, 2025, a Saturday, was the worst commuting day in the city with average congestion at 101 per cent.
TomTom defines average congestion as the extra travel time compared to free-flow traffic conditions, expressed as a percentage.
Average speed refers to the distance covered in 15 minutes under normal traffic, while time lost during rush hour estimates annual delays for a commuter travelling 10 km twice daily during peak hours on working days.
The TomTom Traffic Index is built using anonymised GPS data and real driving speeds from across the world. “The index benchmarks cities on their congestion levels, travel times, and speeds, based on worldwide trip data spanning more than 3.6 trillion km, providing access to traffic information city by city,” it said.