London is the slowest city in the world thanks to widespread 20mph limits

London is well known for its public transport network, with the Underground and a network of trains and buses linking the capital together.

But if you’re a driver, you’ll be well aware the city’s traffic isn’t always easy – or speedy – to navigate.

And new research shows London is the world’s slowest city centre – and that widespread 20mph limits are to blame.

The findings, from sat-nav company TomTom, found that journeys of 10km (6.2 miles) in central London took an average of 37 minutes and 20 seconds in 2023 – one minute longer than in 2022.

It analysed data from 387 cities in 55 countries – and London ended up in the top spot.

Second place was Dublin, where trips of the same length take 29 minutes and 30 seconds.

And in 21 of the 25 UK cities analysed, travel times increased in the last year.

Stephanie Leonard, head of government and regulatory affairs at TomTom, said: ‘London really is the slowest place in the world to drive a car.

‘Especially in the core city centre, you don’t have maximum speed limits of 50mph or higher, it’s a maximum of 20mph.

‘You don’t have the infrastructure for driving very quickly.

‘Our analysis of the economic impact of congestion showed that London’s slow-moving traffic and higher fuel consumption made it one of the most expensive cities in the world for driving.

‘Avoiding peak hours could save Londoners up to £187 per year on fuel costs.

‘At the same time, local authorities must put support behind programmes that encourage cycling, public transport and other modes to take a larger share in transportation.’

During the last four months of 2023, Transport for London (TfL) lowered speed limits to 20mph on a further 65km (40.4 miles) of London’s roads.

When the measure was announced in September, the transport body said it would bring the total length of roads with a 20mph limit to 140km (87 miles), making them ‘safer for everyone’.

But last October, the government published a Plan for Drivers which included an intention to curb the use of those limits.

It stated: ‘We will make it clear that 20mph speed limits in England must be used appropriately where people want them – not as unwarranted blanket measures.’

This came a month after Wales became the first country in the UK to drop the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on residential roads and those commonly used by pedestrians.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.