What cities in Switzerland struggle most with traffic congestion?
In the latest Tom Tom Traffic Index, several Swiss cities have found themselves in the ranks of the world's most congested cities. The index, which analyses traffic flow in 387 cities globally, has revealed that Swiss cities such as Lugano, Bern, Basel, and Lausanne are among the most affected by traffic congestion.
Starting with Lugano, the picturesque city in southern Switzerland, holds the 355th place in the index, with a travel time of 16 minutes for a 10-km distance. This results in 60 hours spent in traffic annually. Interestingly, motorists in Lugano and Bern actually experienced a reduction in travel time in 2024, with a 10-second improvement compared to the previous year.
Bern, the Swiss capital, ranks lower in the list, occupying the 409th place. Despite the shorter travel time compared to Lugano, Bern still faces significant congestion, with a 14-minute travel time for a 10-km distance, resulting in 36 hours spent in traffic annually.
Geneva, one of Switzerland's largest cities, is in the 87th place, with a travel time of 26 minutes for a 10-km distance, leading to 111 hours spent in traffic annually. Both Zurich and Geneva have seen a 10-second increase in travel time compared to the previous year. Motorists in Geneva spend more time in traffic annually compared to Zurich (111 hours versus 94 hours).
Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, takes the 80th place, with a travel time of 26 minutes for a 10-km distance in the city center, resulting in 94 hours spent in traffic annually. The travel time for a 10-km distance in Zurich and Geneva is the same, highlighting the widespread issue of traffic congestion in these cities.
Basel, another significant Swiss city, is in the 278th place, with a travel time of 18 minutes for a 10-km distance, resulting in 60 hours spent in traffic annually. Lausanne, a smaller city compared to Zurich and Geneva, is in the 180th place, with a travel time of 21 minutes for a 10-km distance, resulting in 71 hours spent in traffic annually.
London takes the number 1 spot for the slowest traffic among the cities in the data. Neither Zurich nor Geneva ranks in the top 10 cities with the slowest traffic, indicating that despite their congestion issues, they are not as severely affected as some other global cities.
The article does not provide specific reasons for the disparity in traffic among these cities, but suggests that the size of the cities and their population may be one factor. The cities of Lausanne, Lugano, and Bern are smaller than Zurich and Geneva, as is the size of their downtowns.
Other Swiss cities known for heavy traffic congestion include Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Lausanne. As the data shows, traffic congestion is a problem that affects many cities worldwide, and Switzerland is no exception. The Tom Tom Traffic Index serves as a reminder for cities to continue exploring solutions to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.
