The worst city in the UK for commuters has been named, and it’s not the country’s capital or even its second-largest city. Instead, it is a spot up north where commuters lose a whopping 94 hours per year to travelling to and from work. Commuting is a part of the day that many people would rather not endure, whether it’s sitting in their cars in queues of traffic or standing on packed public transport, such as trains and buses, during the rush hour craze.
However, some parts of the UK are kinder to commuters than others. A recent study named the UK city that is one of the worst in the world for commuters, and many might be surprised about which one it is. It’s not the UK’s largest city, London, or even its second-largest city, Birmingham. Instead, it is actually the country’s third-largest city by population, which is home to more than 1.7 million people.
Yes, Manchester is the UK’s worst city for commuters, according to a recent study. Ovoko, one of Europe’s largest online marketplaces for used car parts, conducted the comprehensive research and examined commute times, congestion levels, hours lost per year to commuting, and the percentage of salaries spent on commutes.
Each city in the study was scored between 0 and 100 in each category. These scores were combined to create a final score and ranking. On a global level, Los Angeles is the worst city for commuters, followed by Bucharest, Budapest, Dublin, Athens, Brussels, Rome, Manchester, Milan, and Wroclaw.
Surprisingly, Manchester made the list while London did not. Kazimieras Urbonas, Supplier Excellence Manager at Ovoko, said: “Commuting stress affects millions of people every single day, impacting both their wallets and well-being.
“Understanding these patterns better can help people make more informed decisions about where to live and work, while also highlighting the urgent need for better transport solutions.”
According to the study, the average one-way commute is 39 minutes. Congestion levels are at around 32%, while commuters spend around 2.77% of their annual salaries on commuting costs.
In comparison, the average commute time in Los Angeles, California, is a staggering 56.81 minutes. Manchester was the city with the second-most average daily minutes spent on commuting.
