First New Zealand Traffic Congestion Index

TomTom Releases First New Zealand Traffic Congestion Index
~ New Zealanders spend up to 92 hours a year in traffic~

New Zealand, 4 April 2013 – TomTom has announced the results of the TomTom Congestion Index 2012 – a report comparing congestion levels in 161 cities across five continents.

In the inaugural Index for Australia & New Zealand, Auckland is ranked as the 3rd most congested city, with New Zealanders spending up to 92 hours a year caught up in peak hour traffic.

Overall, New Zealand was given a congestion level rating of 27%, with Auckland and Christchurch among the top 5 most congested cities in Australia and New Zealand.

1. Sydney 33%
2. Perth 33%
3. Auckland 28%
4. Melbourne 28%
5. Christchurch 28%
6. Adelaide 28%
7. Brisbane 25%
8. Wellington 24%
9. Canberra 18%
In the worst of the peak, traffic delays cost Aucklanders an average of 40 minutes for each hour driven. The worst times to travel in Auckland are Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon, with congestion rising to over 78 per cent when compared to non-peak times. Commuters travelling in peak hour traffic have the best run on either a Friday morning or a Monday evening where congestion levels are lower at 65%.

It is however interesting to note that, residents in Auckland and Christchurch have experienced a 1 per cent decrease in congestion on 2011 figures, contrary to the trends being noted by our Australian neighbours.

The TomTom congestion index shows that the most congested day in Christchurch in 2012 was on the 6th June, coinciding with the heaviest snow fall recorded for the season.

Wellington was found to be the least congested city of those surveyed in New Zealand, with a congestion rating of 24 per cent. Interestingly, Friday afternoon was the quietest time on the road and congestion levels were markedly lower across the board.

“The TomTom congestion index shows relative congestion in key cities across the world. At TomTom we’re constantly working to help governments and road authorities make more informed decisions about tackling the issue of traffic congestion and the Index aims to do just that,” said Chris Kearney, Vice President TomTom Asia Pacific.

“TomTom’s world-class traffic information also helps drivers get to their destinations faster. Significantly, when used on a large scale, TomTom HD Traffic has the potential to ease traffic congestion in cities and urban areas by routing drivers away from traffic hot spots,” said Kearney.

TomTom’s Congestion Index is the world’s most accurate barometer of congestion in urban areas. The Index is uniquely based on real travel time data captured by vehicles driving the entire road network. TomTom’s traffic database contains over six trillion data measurements and is growing by five billion measurements every day.

Sydney was the only city in the region to be listed in the top 10 most congested global cities, measured by the Index.

1. Moscow 66%
2. Istanbul 55%
3. Warsaw 42%
4. Marseille 40%
5. Palermo 39%
6. Los Angeles 33%
7. Sydney 33%
8. Stuttgart 33%
9. Paris 33%
10. Rome 33%

Notes to Editor

About the TomTom Congestion Index
The methodology used in the Congestion Index compares measured travel times during non-congested periods (free flow) with travel times in peak hours. The difference is expressed as a percentage increase in travel time. The Index takes into account local roads, arterials, as well as highways. All data is based on actual GPS based measurements.

As well as assigning and ranking the overall congestion levels of over 161 cities around the world, the report analyses the congestion levels in cities at different times of the day and on different days of the week. TomTom analysed capital cities as well as cities with a population of over 800,000. In addition, a selection of key cities with smaller populations was included based on their regional importance to the transportation network. The purpose of adding these smaller cities was to provide a better understanding of congestion levels within individual countries.

Individual city reports include more detailed information such as the most congested day, time delay per year for commuters and congestion levels on main and secondary roads.

Separate European, North American, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa Congestion Index reports are available.

To download the Congestion Index reports, go to www.tomtom.com/congestionindex .

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About TomTom
Founded in 1991, TomTom (AEX:TOM2) is the world’s leading supplier of in-car location and navigation products and services focused on providing all drivers with the world’s best navigation experience. Headquartered in Amsterdam, TomTom has over 3,500 employees and sells its products in over 40 countries.
Our products include portable navigation devices, in-dash infotainment systems, fleet management solutions, maps and real-time services, including the award winning TomTom HD Traffic.
For the world’s most up-to-date route planner, including live traffic information go to www.tomtom.com/livetraffic
For further information, please visit www.tomtom.com

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