Abu Dhabi is world's least congested capital

As the world grapples with worsening traffic jams, cities in the UAE have maintained low levels of congestion - even recording a decrease in the latest figures, according to results of a global traffic index.
Out of 416 cities in 57 countries, Abu Dhabi was at rank 410 with a congestion level of only 10 per cent, making it the least congested capital city in the world, the ninth TomTom Traffic Index has shown.
The report also found that traffic jams in the Capital went down by one per cent, compared to the 2018 results.
Dubai has been ranked 265th, with a congestion level of 21 per cent, marking a two per cent decrease from the previous year.
For the rest of the globe included in the TomTom study, 239 cities (57 per cent) had increased congestion levels between 2018 and 2019.
Bengaluru takes the top spot this year with drivers in the south Indian city expecting to spend an average of 71 per cent extra travel time stuck in traffic.
Next in the global rankings are the Philippine capital, Manila (71 per cent); Bogota in Colombia (68 per cent); last year's most congested city, Mumbai (65 per cent); and Pune (59 per cent), also in India.
"Globally, there's a long road to travel until congestion levels are brought under control," said Ralf-Peter Schäfer, VP of Traffic Information for TomTom, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) partner of RoadSafetyUAE.
"In time, the rise of autonomous vehicles and car-sharing services will help alleviate congestion, but policymakers can't afford to sit and wait. They need to use all the tools available to analyse traffic levels, so they can make critical infrastructure decisions."
Schäfer added that drivers can also help solve traffic woes.
"Small changes in driving behaviours can make a huge difference," he said.
Europe, US
Greater Moscow takes the lead in Europe (59 per cent), with Istanbul (55 per cent) coming a close second. Kyiv (53 per cent), Bucharest (52 per cent), and Saint Petersburg (49 per cent) make up the rest of the top five in the region.
Paris (39 per cent), Rome (38 per cent) and London (38 per cent) ranked in at 14th, 15th and 17th respectively. In the US, the top five most congested cities are Los Angeles (42 per cent), New York (37 per cent), San Francisco (36 per cent), San Jose (33 per cent) and Seattle (31 per cent).
This global increase in congestion, despite being an indicator of a strong economy, is understood to cost economies billions, according to the experts.
Besides showcasing the full index report online, TomTom's website also allows visitors to explore the traffic situation in their city, with live traffic information helping them make better travel decisions.
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