Traffic during the Chinese New Year holiday in George Town, Penang last year. The Annual TomTom Traffic Index for 2024 revealed that drivers in George Town lost 75 hours per year due to rush hours, which is equivalent to three days and three hours. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
A tech location specialist company has ranked George Town, Penang, as the slowest city in Malaysia, with an average travel time of 26 minutes 36 seconds per 10 km during morning rush hour.
The Annual TomTom Traffic Index for 2024 revealed that drivers in George Town lost 75 hours per year due to rush hours, which is equivalent to three days and three hours.
It ranked Jan 24, 2024 as the worst day to travel in George Town, with an average travel time of 34 minutes 41 seconds to drive 10km.
In the global ranking of 500 cities, George Town ranks 73rd, while Barranquilla, Colombia, holds the top spot with a travel time of 34 minutes and 51 seconds per 10km.
Other slow-moving cities in Malaysia
After George Town, second place in Malaysia is Kota Bharu in Kelantan with an average travel time per 10km of 22 minutes 30 seconds where drivers lost 60 hours.
This is followed by Ipoh in Perak with 21 minutes 48 seconds and 51 hours lost.
Other cities in the top 8 in Malaysia are Johor Bahru (19 minutes 58 seconds with 49 hours lost), Kuala Lumpur (17 minutes 26 seconds with 68 hours lost), Seberang Perai in Penang (14 minutes 30 seconds with 49 hours lost), followed by Klang (13 minutes nine seconds with 27 hours) and Kajang (12 minutes 33 seconds with 41 hours) which are both located in Selangor.
Faster response
As urban areas continue to expand, the company said that traffic congestion needs to be urgently addressed.
"The combination of population and economic growth is putting significant strain on our transportation networks. Outdated infrastructure and inefficient road planning fail to keep pace with demand.
"Additionally, the surge in ecommerce has led to a rise in freight traffic, further complicating the situation," said vice president of traffic Ralf-Peter Schafer in a press statement.
He added that a shift towards more regulation and sustainable transportation options is needed to lessen the impact of worsening congestion.
The TomTom Traffic Index is based on floating car data (FCD), which tracks vehicle location and speed via GPS from navigation devices to assess historic travel times and evaluate traffic algorithms.
