Three weeks a year stuck in traffic
MOTORISTS are spending almost three weeks in their car each year trapped in southeast Queensland peak-hour traffic, according to new RACQ data.
RACQ spokeswoman Lucinda Ross said analysis of average travel times on the region’s busiest roads had revealed that congestion was robbing motorists of precious family time.
“Drivers commuting from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on the Pacific Motorway spent more than 465 hours, or 19 days, simply driving to and from work,” she said.
“They were closely followed by Logan motorists, who spent 13 days each year making the trek to and from Brisbane.”
Ms Ross said congestion was a “useless waste of time” and governments needed to be doing more to improve the road network and public transport.
“By travelling during the busiest periods, motorists are adding extra time to their trip which they’re spending stuck in congestion and not with their families, in some cases, by almost a week over the course of a year,” she said.
The report, which analysed average speed data from the Transport Department, found peak-hour travel times on most roads rose from 2017 to 2018.
Motorists were stuck longer driving on the Pacific Motorway from the Logan River to Gateway Motorway overpass in the mornings, jumping from 21.35 minutes to 25.11 minutes.