South Africa's Cape Town ranked 6th most congested city worldwide

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, is now ranked as the sixth most congested city in the world, with drivers spending about 96 hours a year stuck in traffic, according to a newly released report.

The findings from the INRIX 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard, which examined congestion trends across nearly 1,000 cities worldwide, said that although Cape Town's traffic levels rose by only 2 percent compared with last year, congestion has increased sharply by 16 percent since 2023.

Only five cities, namely Istanbul, Mexico City, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, are ranked ahead of Cape Town in congestion severity.

Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, ranked as the 29th most congested city globally, with motorists losing an average of 59 hours annually.

"Traffic congestion occurs when demand for roadway travel exceeds the supply of roadways. As vehicular traffic builds, drivers, freight movers, and bus riders lose time and spend fuel unproductively," the report said.

Beyond lost time, the report noted that congestion worsens negative externalities such as freight delays, inflationary pressures, and environmental impacts.

"While not measured in this report, these externalities decrease our quality of life," it added. ■