Delhi Congestion Analysis, 2023
Why this study?
Deteriorating reputation of public transport service especially buses, ineffective vehicle restrain measures, indirect promotion of vehicle use by continued investment in new roads and bridges, and the minimal unusable non-motorised network, have all led to a car-centric travel pattern in Delhi.
Find Delhi’s congestion story summed up in four charts..
Selecting the routes for analysis
The process of choosing routes for analysis involved preliminary examination of these datasets:
The report “Decongesting Traffic in Delhi,” a significant policy document from the government acknowledging congestion as a critical issue in the city, outlined various strategies to reduce vehicular density without hindering efficient people movement. The committee pinpointed 44 specific areas as key congestion points.
TomTom, renowned for its location technology, offers historical traffic data through its 'MOVE portal'. This data is accessible based on specific routes or defined areas.
Google Maps' Distance Matrix and Directions API provide detailed travel time data for chosen origin-destination pairs.
Speed decreased by 25.6% during morning peaks and 34.4% during evening peaks compared to free flow speed on days except Diwali.
Speed decreased* by 10.6% during morning peaks* and 1.14% during evening peaks compared to free flow speed on Diwali.
Morning peak: 8 AM to 12 PM; Evening peak: 6 PM to 8 PM
Speed reduction when compared to free flow speed (6 AM)
Pedal over pedals.
During the time period November 5th to November 20th, the speed of car was the same as that of a bicycle being ridden in a cycle lane 53% of the times during the day between 6 AM to 10 PM.
In other words, a car was slower than a cyclist in Delhi more than half the times of the day!
No more excuses against cycling, except ofcourse, the sheer absence of a robust cycling network amidst the hustle and bustle of cars in Delhi.
On the road to nowhere fast.
It takes, on an average, 50.5% longer to drive during peak hours. In our sample size, the cumulative driving time on all routes at 6 AM (free flow speed) is 177 minutes. During peak hours, an additional 87 minutes has to be spared in traffic covering the same distance.
That on average is equivalent to reading 67 pages of a book, or 3/4th time spent watching your favorite movie!
Private vehicle use, though less than public transport, has consistently hovered above 40% for years. Some see this as a triumph, preventing car and two-wheeler journeys from overtaking buses and trains; others recognize it for what it is -
..a sign of stalled progress.
The goal is to witness a gradual reduction in reliance on private transportation. Consistency is more of a curse here, than a blessing.