PENANG’s George Town has been named the city with the worst traffic congestion in Malaysia for 2024, according to the latest TomTom Traffic Index.
The state capital recorded the highest congestion level, with an average driving time of 27 minutes per 10 kilometers.
In the global rankings, George Town ranks 73rd for the worst traffic worldwide.
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Kota Bharu, Kelantan, surprisingly clinched the second spot for the worst traffic in Malaysia, with an average driving time of 23 minutes per 10 kilometers, placing it at 139th globally.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur, often criticised for its notorious traffic, came in 5th place in Malaysia and ranked 285th globally with an average driving time of 17 minutes per 10 kilometers.
The TomTom Traffic Index analysed data from 500 cities across 62 countries, with rankings based on average travel times and congestion levels. The study provides valuable insights into traffic patterns across urban areas.
“In the Traffic Index, we use a representative sample of this data, spanning 737 billion km, to assess and show how traffic evolved in cities around the globe throughout 2024,” the report said.
“The travel time in each city is a result of multiple factors which can be grouped into: A) quasi-static factors (e.g., road infrastructure, such as street categories, road sizes and capacities, or speed limits) or B) dynamic factors that influence traffic flow (e.g., traffic congestion, roadworks, bad weather, etc.).”
Here are the top eight cities in Malaysia with the highest average travel times per 10 kilometers:
George Town, Penang – 27 minutes
Kota Bharu, Kelantan – 23 minutes
Ipoh, Perak – 22 minutes
Johor Bahru, Johor – 20 minutes
Kuala Lumpur – 17 minutes
Seberang Perai, Penang – 15 minutes
Klang, Selangor – 13 minutes
Kajang, Selangor – 13 minutes
