KUWAIT CITY, June 26: Kuwait City has secured the sixth position among Arab cities and ranks 550th globally for traffic congestion, according to the "Global Traffic Score Record for 2023" report released by INRIX, a prominent traffic data analysis company. The report highlighted Dubai as the top-ranking Arab city for congestion, closely followed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

Globally, New York City retained its position as the most congested urban area for the second consecutive year, costing the city an estimated $9.1 billion in wasted time. Mexico City followed closely in second place, trailed by London, Paris, and Chicago. Other American cities such as Los Angeles and Boston also featured prominently in the list of the world's most traffic-congested cities, according to the report.

Traffic congestion, as defined in the report, occurs when the demand for transportation exceeds available road capacity. This leads to significant time and fuel losses for drivers, freight carriers, and bus passengers. The report quantified the economic impact of congestion, noting that it cost the United States over $70.4 billion in 2023 alone, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. On average, vehicle drivers lost 42 hours due to traffic congestion.

In Europe, London maintained its status as the most congested city for the third consecutive year, with drivers spending an average of 99 hours stuck in traffic throughout 2023.

The findings underscore the widespread challenges posed by traffic congestion globally and the substantial economic costs associated with inefficient transportation systems.