FRUSTRATED motorists are losing precious hours of their lives stuck in traffic jams on Scotland’s most congested roads.
On the worst affected roads drivers are left at a standstill for up to 35 hours per year, with Aberdeen’s traffic clogged roads emerging once again as the worst in Scotland.
Stretches of the A1 in Scotland were also singled out, with almost 40 per cent of journeys between some parts of the route delayed due to congestion.
READ MORE: Traffic congestion in Scotland cost drivers £2.4bn
Analysis of data from various sources carried out for GoCompare Motoring placed Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow among the top 15 worst cities in the UK for traffic delays. London was most congested, with motorists there likely to be trapped behind the car in front for 73 hours per year – over three days of their lives.
Aberdeen was in third place behind Manchester with 35 hours of delays a year, followed by Edinburgh in fifth place with 31 and Glasgow in 11th place with 27 hours spent in jams.
The Highways to Hell report also claimed that while we’re taking more journeys in our cars, average speeds are decreasing, with both urban and rural journeys travelled at approximately one mile per hour slower than in 2014, and an average delay of 47 seconds for every mile travelled on British roads.
READ MORE: Congestion levels improve though Edinburgh remains among Britain's worst
Some motoring campaign groups have previously called for transport authorities to review traffic signal sequencing and the possible use of emergency lanes and bus lanes to help improve traffic flow.
The research follows findings last month from the Department for Transport which revealed the average speed of cars on A-roads in towns and cities last year sat at just 18.4mph. It raises the prospect that if speeds continued to drop at the same rate, cars will be travelling slower than bicycles by 2027.
Earlier findings from traffic information supplier Inrix have also placed Aberdeen as among the most gridlocked of UK cities for rush hour hold ups, with Edinburgh found to have the second, third and fourth most congested roads in Scotland. It positioned Great Western Road in Glasgow as Scotland’s most congested, with motorists left crawling at just 12.3 miles per hour during evening rush hour.
READ MORE: Traffic congestion in Scotland cost drivers £2.4bn
A spokesperson for GoCompare Motoring said: “There are more cars on the road now than ever before, with an estimated increase in motor vehicles of 8 per cent this decade alone and 17 per cent since the turn of the millennium.
“The fact that drivers in the worst congested 15 cities in the United Kingdom spend an average of 33 hours in traffic per person, per year, is indicative of just how bloated our roads can get. “
According to the findings the worst roads in Scotland are mostly along the A1 in the Borders. Just 63.8 per cent of journeys between the A6105 and A1167 in the Borders were said to run on time.
Other roads highlighted as most likely to result in delays for drivers included the A74 at Gretna Green and the A698 at Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Motorists travelling on the A1 to the north east of England also faced the prospect of long delays, with the worst stretch between A692 and A184 causing disruption to around 70 per cent of journeys.
READ MORE: Congestion levels improve though Edinburgh remains among Britain's worst
Rebecca Ashton, IAM RoadSmart head of driver behaviour, said: “IAM RoadSmart is always disappointed to hear of heightened areas of congestion however with Scotland’s population and the amount of vehicles on Scottish roads growing, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the roads, in and around the three cities highlighted in the Go Compare survey would be beneficial.
“Improved public transport options, car sharing schemes and a healthier means of travel could all reduce congestion, assist traffic flow and improve the environment.
“Driving style also plays a part in combating delays by observing, anticipating and planning in a more focused manner – this could result in less jams in some situations. The key thing if travelling by car is to keep calm, allow additional time for your journey when travelling to areas known to have high congestion levels.”
RAC roads policy spokesman Nicholas Lyes said: “Motorists tell us congestion on urban roads has worsened over the last 12 months, so many in Scotland will not be surprised to find three cities make the top 15 list.
“Congestion is not only frustrating, it is costing the country money and worsening air quality in Scotland’s towns and cities. We need to start seeing some bolder proposals to help increase traffic flow in our towns and cities. This should include everything from extra investment into reducing congestion at pinch-points, right through to resequencing traffic lights to optimise flow of traffic. Perhaps there is also a case for ‘smart’ bus lanes, which can be opened and closed at short notice to help ease congestion when required.
READ MORE: Traffic congestion in Scotland cost drivers £2.4bn
“More should also be done to give drivers better local options to encourage shorter journeys by other means, whether by public transport, walking or cycling – especially since UK Government data shows that almost a quarter (23%) of trips made by car are 2 miles or less.
“At some point, policymakers may even have to look at road pricing as an alternative to the current taxation system to help manage demand.”
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