Bengaluru Traffic Crisis: City Ranks 2nd Globally, Drivers Lose 168 Hours a Year

Bengaluru has emerged as the world’s second most congested city, according to the TomTom Traffic Index 2025. Drivers lose an average of 168 hours a year to traffic, with peak-hour congestion severely impacting daily commutes and urban mobility.

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Bengaluru’s Traffic Crisis Deepens

India’s tech capital, Bengaluru, has earned an unenviable distinction as one of the world’s most congested cities. 

According to the latest TomTom Traffic Index 2025, the city now ranks second globally, just behind Mexico City, with an average congestion level of 74.4 per cent, up 1.7 percentage points from 2024.

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Longer Travel Times for Short Distances

For commuters, the impact of this congestion is felt acutely. A simple 10 km drive now takes 36 minutes and 9 seconds on average, which is 2 minutes 4 seconds longer than in 2024. 

Even short trips are slowing down: in 15 minutes, the average distance covered in Bengaluru is just 4.2 km, down 0.2 km from the previous year.

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Rush Hour Headaches

Morning and evening traffic remains particularly severe. 

During morning peak hours, a 10 km journey takes 41 minutes and 6 seconds, with congestion averaging 94.2 per cent and an average speed of 14.6 km/h. 

Evening rush hour is even worse: the same distance takes 45 minutes and 27 seconds, with congestion reaching 115.2 per cent and speeds dropping to 13.2 km/h.

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Time Lost in Traffic

Bengaluru drivers collectively lost 168 hours in rush-hour traffic during 2025, equivalent to 7 days and 40 minutes. 

This represents an increase of 12 hours and 46 minutes compared to 2024, highlighting how congestion is steadily eroding commuters’ time and quality of life.

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The Worst Day on Record

The TomTom Index flagged Saturday, 17 May 2025, as Bengaluru’s most congested day of the year, when the city’s average congestion level hit 101 per cent. The spike underscores the unpredictability of traffic jams, even on weekends.

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Global Context

Bengaluru’s second-place ranking positions it among the world’s major congestion hotspots. 

The top five cities in the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index are:

• Mexico City, Mexico
• Bengaluru, India
• Dublin, Ireland
• Lodz, Poland
• Pune, India

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India’s Urban Mobility Challenges

The ranking also highlights a broader problem in India. 

The top 35 most congested cities globally include seven Indian cities, such as Pune (5th), Mumbai (18th), New Delhi (23rd), Kolkata (29th), Jaipur (30th), and Chennai (32nd). 

These figures reveal the enormous pressure on urban infrastructure and mobility, despite differences in road layouts, public transport, and commuting patterns.

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About TomTom and the Traffic Index

TomTom, a Netherlands-based company known for digital maps, navigation software, and real-time traffic data, publishes the annual Traffic Index to evaluate congestion levels and travel times in cities worldwide. 

The 2025 edition underscores Bengaluru’s growing traffic woes, reflecting the urgent need for improved road planning and public transport solutions in India’s tech hub.