Motorists '¨waste 30 hours a year sitting '¨in traffic

The figures, released today, revealed that drivers in Leeds and Bradford wasted around 29 hours in traffic last year – putting them in ninth place in the UK’s list of top 10 most congested metropolitan areas list for 2015.

Meanwhile drivers in South Yorkshire wasted 27 hours in traffic last year, putting them in 10th place.

The findings, by car technology and transport analytics company INRIX, put London in first place, with drivers wasting an average of 101 hours, or more than four days, in gridlock in 2015.

The report added that the economy, unemployment, population levels and roadworks have an impact on traffic levels.

Bryan Mistele, president and chief executive at INRIX, said: “London is the victim of its own success, with a robust jobs market and a growing economy attracting more people, more construction and consequently more traffic.

“Transport for London is tackling this problem with its £4bn Road Modernisation Plan.

“Whilst in the short term the roadworks from this initiative are frustrating for drivers, they are a step towards creating a more sustainable and modernised transport network.”

Congestion was up slightly in 11 of the 18 UK metropolitan areas in 2015.

Also in the top 10 were Greater Manchester, Belfast, Merseyside, South Nottinghamshire, Avon and North Somerset, and Coventry and Warwick.

Birmingham experienced the biggest decline in traffic delays, with a decrease of 2.5 hours annually compared to 2014.

The study added that this could be attributed to the completion of roadworks on the M6 and redevelopment projects in the city centre.

Across the UK, drivers spent an average 30 hours in delays on the roads.

The study analysed traffic congestion in more than 100 cities worldwide, putting the UK sixth in the European ranking behind Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland.