News
Manchester named one of the UK’s most congested cities with the ‘worst traffic’
Not exactly something to be proud of.
Emily Sergeant -
8th January 2025 
Manchester has got itself a new title… but this isn’t one worth shouting about.
You may remember that recently, Manchester and the neighbouring boroughs have found themselves on some pretty coveted UK-wide lists, most-notably with the city being ranked one of the UK’s most ‘most desired’ places to live and one of the top cities in the world to visit, so we’ve definitely got a lot to be proud of.
But it’s swings and roundabouts, as with all those impressive titles comes a less-than-impressive one, as the city has also been named one of the top 10 most congested cities with the worst traffic in the UK.
According to a new study conducted by the RAC, using data from INRIX, it was found that Manchester ranked number four on the list, as motorists lost a total of 61 hours stuck in traffic over the course of 2024 – which was estimated to cost them around £570 extra.
Manchester wasn’t the only northern city on the list either, as Leeds and Sheffield also feature in the top 10, alongside the surprising addition of the lively Greater Manchester town of Wigan.
Yes, that’s right – it may not technically be a city, but for some reason, Wigan has also found itself featured on the list of UK’s most congested cities, as the study found that motorists there wasted an average of 57 hours stuck in traffic in 2024, and sadly had to part with an extra £532 because of it.
The UK’s most congested cities
- London
- Bristol
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Bath
- Birmingham
- Wigan
- Chelmsford
- Sheffield
When it comes to the top spot on the list, that of course goes to London.
London’s drivers lost 101 hours sitting in congestion in 2024, which was a 2% increase in delays from the previous 12 months, and this means that the capital also accounts for approximately 50% of all UK traffic delay.
Looking nationally as a whole, the data also revealed that the country lost approximately £7.7 billion in 2024, which is £200 million more than in 2023.
Read more:
- Series of £5 ‘rush hour’ gigs launches in Manchester instead of sitting in traffic
- Manchester named one of the UK’s ‘most desired’ places to live
- This is why Manchester has been named the ‘most inspiring’ city in the UK
The average UK driver lost around 62 hours due to traffic congestion last year, according to the study, which is up only one hour from the previous 12-month period, and this works out to £581 per driver per year.
Featured Image – Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
