For the longest time, Manila has been the face of urban traffic congestion in the Philippines, but that narrative has apparently shifted. According to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index, Davao City now holds that not-so-coveted title. Not only that, but it also ranked as the third most congested city in the world.
If you’ve ever been stuck in Davao traffic, this might not come as a surprise. Motorists in the city spent an average travel time of 32 minutes and 59 seconds per 10 kilometers in 2024, with a congestion level of 49%. If we do the math, that is 136 hours lost to traffic.
On the bright side, the average travel time in Davao City used to be 30 seconds more in 2023.
LOOK: 3 Philippine Cities Are Among the World’s Most Traffic-Congested
Over in the capital, motorists are dealing with an average of 32 minutes and 10 seconds to cover the same 10 kilometers. That’s just 49 seconds faster than Davao, so it doesn’t feel like much of a win. Manila’s congestion level is at 42%.
Caloocan City also made it to the list for the first time (hooray?), ranking 39th in the world for congestion. It has an average travel time of 30 minutes and 44 seconds per 10 kilometers. It looks like Metro Manila’s traffic is spreading, but that’s not exactly a good thing in this context.
Why is Davao City so congested all of a sudden?
Davao City's traffic woes didn’t happen overnight. A combination of rapid urbanization, a boom in car ownership, and ongoing infrastructure projects causing road closures have gradually led to worsening gridlock. Even with road shortcuts in place, many locals have claimed these are not enough to accommodate the large volume of cars that have emerged in recent years.
In 2024, the Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office also admitted it lacked sufficient personnel to manage traffic effectively, leading to heavy congestion, especially during peak times like the Christmas season.
Top 10 Most Congested Cities in the World in 2024
In case you were wondering, here are the 10 most congested cities in the world, according to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index.
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Davao City, Philippines
- Kumamoto, Japan
- Bucharest, Romania
- Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Lodz, Poland
- Bandung, Indonesia
- Lima, Peru
- Dublin, Ireland
TomTom is a Dutch company specializing in location technology and traffic analytics. Every year, they publish the Traffic Index, offering cities (and motorists) a detailed look at just how bad traffic can get. Filipinos don’t need a global report to know that, though.
*This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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