Study: Bucharest has worst traffic in Europe

Bucharest tops a list of 13 cities with the worst traffic in Europe, according to a survey by TomTom, a Dutch navigation and mapping company.

The Amsterdam-based company collected data over nine years and gave each city a congestion score out of 100. The cities’ annual score, most recently updated with 2016 data, shows how much extra time is needed to get around in a particular city.

Bucharest ranked 1st, with a score of 50 percent. By contrast with London, for instance, which ranked 4th on the list of European cities with the worst traffic, and has taken steps to stem congestion, Bucharest did not. Therefore, its score increased by 7 percent compared to last year.

Russian capital Moscow is ranked one position behind Bucharest, with a score of 44 percent, the same as in 2015. However, TomTom awarded the city its parking award. Russia’s Saint Petersburg ranked 3rd with a score of 41 percent, 1 point up from the previous year.

Marseille, France, received a score of 40 percent, representing a 2 percent year-on-year increase. Italian capital Rome received a score of 40 percent and ranked 6th on the list, with a 2 percent increase compared to last year. The French capital also received a score 38 percent, and saw a 2 percent increase compared to 2016, ranking 7th.

Brussels got a score of 38 percent, representing a 3 percent increase compared to the year before. Manchester, Englad, ranked 8th received a score of 38 percent, after seeing a 1 percent increase. Athens, Greece, ranked 10th, followed by Warsaw, ranked 11, Cologne ranked 12, Naples was ranked 13th.