"In 2025, 171 hours were spent stuck in a jam during peak hours, a figure that is equivalent to five working days, according to data from the navigator company Tom Tom. Based on figures collected by GPS devices, the data reveals that it takes drivers 62.5% longer to cover the same distance they would cover when the traffic circulates more smoothly. During peak hours, the average speed was 18.5 km/h (11.5 mph) and the distance covered in 15 minutes was 4.6 km (2.8 miles)."
"Traffic congestion has a large and measurable cost, usually in the order of 1% to 2% of GDP, explains Dan Popa, an economist and journalist for the Hotnews.ro news outlet. That means between 3.5 billion and 7 billion a year in Romania. It is time that could be spent producing goods and services, attending meetings or providing services, so it directly reduces productivity, Popa says."
Drivers in Bucharest spent 171 hours in peak-hour traffic jams in 2025, equivalent to five working days per year. GPS-based figures show travel times increase by 62.5% during congestion, with average peak speed at 18.5 km/h and only 4.6 km covered in 15 minutes; the worst day yielded just 2.6 km in 15 minutes. Congestion reduces productivity and carries an economic cost estimated at 1–2% of GDP, about €3.5–7 billion annually. Businesses face higher logistics and delivery costs, greater inventory needs, weakened supply-chain reliability and reduced competitiveness, while long commutes shrink the effective labor pool.
Read at english.elpais.com
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