Congestion costs drivers 4 days a year

BY 6.15AM, the N1 is already slowing to a crawl.

- MURRAY SWART

LIVINGSTONE High School learners participated in a centennial celebration walk to Rosmead Avenue. The learners hoisted a centenary flag to officially mark the beginning of the school's second century.

(ARMAND HOUGH Independent Newspapers)

For commuters leaving Brackenfell, what should be a 30km drive into the city can stretch to 90 minutes before sunrise. From Khayelitsha, a 22km journey that takes 25 to 30 minutes in free-flow conditions often doubles or triples during peak hours.

"You plan your life around traffic," said a northern suburbs commuter. "If you leave a little late, you're stuck for more than an hour."

The 2025 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard ranks Cape Town sixth worldwide for traffic delay, with the average driver losing 96 hours a year in peak congestion - up from 94 hours in 2024. Based on the report's estimate, that amounts to roughly four full days annually spent in traffic.

Only İstanbul, Chicago, Mexico City, New York City and Philadelphia recorded higher annual delays. The ranking places Cape Town among the world’s 10 most congested citiesand well ahead of every other South African metro.