TomTom Survey: A 10 Km Trip In Jakarta Takes 22 Minutes 40 Seconds

JAKARTA - The global city traffic rating agency, Tomtom International BV, has put Jakarta's congestion index up from 46th in 2021 to 29th in 2022.

TomTom through its official website accessed in Jakarta, Wednesday, explained that the average travel time for a 10-kilometer trip in DKI is 22 minutes 40 seconds.

In general, TomTom said that traffic conditions in cities around the world have returned to being busy after previously sloping due to activity restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"During the pandemic, we observed rush hour traffic as a memory. Unfortunately, it seems that conditions (rush hour) have returned," said TomTom's statement, quoted from Antara, Wednesday 22 February.

The agency measures the traffic congestion index in 389 cities in 56 countries by 2022, one of which is Jakarta. Jakarta and Manila in the Philippines are two cities in Southeast Asia that are in the top 50 of the congestion index based on TomTom's ranking.

However, the index in Jakarta is still better than Manila which is ranked ninth with an average travel time per 10 kilometers reaching 27 minutes.

The city with the highest congestion index is London, with a travel time of 10 kilometers per 10 kilometers, namely 36 minutes and 20 seconds. While the lowest index is the city of Almere in the Netherlands at 389 with a travel time of only eight minutes and 20 seconds per 10 kilometers.

TomTom explained the congestion index measurement methodology based on moving vehicle data (floating car data/FCD) which in 2022, the agency will use measurements based on travel time per 10 kilometers.

According to TomTom, the travel time generated in cities around the world arises due to a number of factors, including the condition of road infrastructure, for example, road category, road capacity to speed limit.

Previously, the agency stated that the COVID-19 pandemic was the main cause or factor in reducing the level of congestion in major cities in the world, including Jakarta.

In 2020, the congestion index in Jakarta was ranked 31st and improved in 2021 to 46th.

Rank 10

Before the pandemic, namely in 2019, TomTom ranked Jakarta 10th in the world city congestion index. Before the pandemic, the level of congestion in major cities in the world increased by two to three percent per year.

However, when the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, things turned upside down, reducing the level of congestion in the world's cities. Meanwhile, the increase in the traffic jam index in Jakarta is in accordance with the prediction of the Polda Metro Jaya Traffic Directorate.

Polda Metro Jaya said that in the first quarter of 2022, the level of congestion in Jakarta would reach around 48 percent. Meanwhile, the congestion index in Jakarta is currently estimated to have reached above 50 percent as the COVID-19 pandemic is under control and the community activity restrictions (PPKM) are lifted.