Busy going nowhere: London is still the most gridlocked city in Europe

Traffic in London is a problem that is nearly as old as the city itself. But much like the capital's gridlocked streets, its position as the most congested city in Europe has remained unmoved, beating Paris and Dublin.

- Harry Taylor

Drivers in the capital spent an average of 101 hours sitting in traffic last year, a 2% increase from the previous year, according to transport analytics company Inrix.

It shows a consistent increase in London, rising from 97 hours in 2022 to 99 hours in 2023. The A40 Westway in London was judged to be the most congested road in the UK, with 5-6pm being its worst time.

Behind London was Paris, with 97 hours of delays, followed by Dublin in third with 81 hours.

Inrix estimated the cost to London was about £3.85bn, which is equivalent to £942 for each of the city's 4 million drivers. The company said it used a diverse sources of data to produce its analysis, including from phones and vehicles.

The capital has been famous for its traffic problems, with Piccadilly Circus becoming a byword for somewhere that is chaotically busy.