NOTW – London has world’s worst traffic jams

As traffic starts to recover from pandemic lockdowns, London has emerged as the most congested city in the world, according to transport analytics firm Inrix Inc. In 2021, drivers in the UK capital spent 148 hours stuck in a jam.

The 2021 Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, which covers more than 1,000 cities selected across 50 countries, reported that Paris follows London (140 hours lost), Brussels (134), Moscow (108) and New York (102). However, it excludes some infamously busy cities like Lahore, Lagos and Cairo.

In Europe, St Petersburg delays fell by 50% compared to 2019. Nimes in France, however, saw congestion nearly double (98% increase) compared to 2019.

Inrix reported that, like most other countries, the UK implemented protective lockdowns that impacted travel within the country in 2020. By 2021, England has had no restrictions since mid-June, when the third national lockdown ended.

London’s high congestion levels are reportedly partly due to the installation of new bike lanes last year. Cycle charity Cycling UK disputes this claim, arguing that lanes help move people more efficiently. Transport for London, a local government body, plans to create 450km of new bike lanes by 2024.

According to the study, worldwide traffic in 2021 was still below 2019, but the increase from last year signals a significant economic recovery.

The Inrex 2021 Global Traffic Scorecard is based on more than ten months of data, extrapolated to an annual number.

source: GraphicNews, 5 Perc Angol Magazin 2022 januári szám

Decide if the statements are true or false. 

1) Drivers in London spend more than 140 hours in traffic jams.

2) According to the article London is more congested than Cairo.

3) There has been no lockdown in the second half of the year in England.

4) It is clearly evident that bike lanes help people move more efficiently.

5) There has been an increase in worldwide traffic this year compared to last year.

Key: 1. true, 2. false, 3. true, 4. false, 5. true;