Here’s a frustrating truth for anyone who’s ever sat in gridlock on the Exe Bridges or Bridge Road: Exeter has officially been named one of the UK’s worst cities for traffic congestion. But here’s where it gets controversial—while cities like London and Birmingham often steal the spotlight for their chaotic roads, Exeter quietly sneaks into the top 10, ranking ninth in the nation. Yes, you read that right—worse than Liverpool and Bristol!
A recent study by cartridgesave.co.uk (https://cartridgesave.co.uk/) analyzed TomTom traffic data across 35 UK cities, revealing just how much time drivers lose to congestion. In Exeter, motorists spend an average of 56 hours stuck in traffic each year. That’s nearly two and a half days wasted behind the wheel! And this is the part most people miss: even though Exeter’s travel distances are shorter than those in larger cities, rush-hour bottlenecks and pothole-ridden roads make commuting painfully slow.
The study compared average travel times for 10-kilometer journeys and the percentage of driving time lost to congestion. In Exeter, drivers spend 15 minutes and 26 seconds per 10 km, with a staggering 37% of that time eaten up by rush-hour traffic. To put it in perspective, that’s like adding an extra 40 minutes to your weekly commute—just because of congestion.
But Exeter isn’t alone in its traffic woes. Hull and Belfast take the top spots, with Edinburgh boasting the longest travel times overall. Leicester and Sheffield tie for fourth place, while Birmingham, Southampton, and Oxford aren’t far behind. Even Swansea, Aberdeen, and Reading make the top 10, each losing 37% of driving time to traffic.
On the flip side, cities like Inverness, Ipswich, and Newcastle-Sunderland offer a breath of fresh air, with congestion rates as low as 20-30%. Drivers there lose just 26 to 57 hours annually, making daily commutes far less stressful.
But here’s the real question: Is Exeter’s traffic problem a result of poor infrastructure, increasing population, or something else entirely? And what can be done to ease the gridlock? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—do you agree with the study’s findings, or do you think there’s more to the story?
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