Gridlock Grinds Wheels of Commerce to Halt in U.K.

Every vehicle in Belfast, Northern Ireland, loses 24 working days a year because it is stuck in traffic gridlock.

That’s among the findings of a survey of U.K. cities to gauge how congestion is costing businesses billions of pounds every year. In 2016, there were more than 1.35 million traffic jams across the region, costing the economy approximately £9 billion ($12.5 billion), according to transportation analyst Inrix.

November 2016 marked the worst month for the number of traffic jams, with more than 169,000 recorded across the U.K. – 50% worse than the average.

Research by van-hire specialist Northgate Vehicle Hire suggests a significant amount of city gridlock results from road work and temporary speed limits, which is why the Local Government Assn. has been calling on the government to reduce the risk of gridlock by limiting the amount of road work being carried out across the country.

While it also is causing unnecessary carbon emissions and fuel consumption, gridlock wastes a great deal of drivers’ time. The average driver reportedly spends around 32 hours a year stuck in traffic jams during peak periods; this figure doesn’t include commercial drivers who work day and night. The study indicates that for businesses charging on an hourly rate, at least another 32 hours of work are lost.

Currently, 2.5 million instances of road work each year are caused by utility-company digging – which three-quarters of small businesses say is hurting their business, whether it is causing wasted time in traffic, reduced sales or curtailed earnings.

Government figures suggest U.K. traffic levels are expected to increase about 55% by 2040.

The study showed businesses in Belfast have the most to worry about among the U.K.’s biggest cities. In 2015, the average congestion on roads in the Northern Ireland capital was recorded at 40%, costing companies some 24 working days per vehicle per year. Overall, Belfast businesses experienced an estimated £12.6 million ($17.4 million) loss because of road congestion.

Beverley Wise, director for TomTom Telematics in the U.K. and Ireland, commented, “Making the most of billable time is key to profitability for any business, so organizations that rely heavily on a mobile workforce must look for ways to maximize the time employees spend actually doing jobs by minimizing time spent on the road.”