Traffic congestion costing UK firms £4.5 billion a year, claims report ⁰

The daily grind of commuting to work is not only taking its toll on the health, wellbeing and fuses of employees, it is also costing businesses billions of pounds a year in lost working hours, claims a new report from fleet management firm Lex Autolease. The study, part of the firm’s annual survey of trends in corporate car use, estimates that employees spend around 13 percent of their work-related journey times held up by jams and congestion and that the 1,041 people surveyed also spent an average of 70 minutes each day in their car travelling to and from work. In addition, around one in twenty (5 percent) of people commute for more than three hours each day, while just 8 percent said they were based from home so commuting wasn’t an issue. The study concludes that this costs UK employers some £4.5 billion each year.

Tim Porter, managing director of Lex Autolease, said the findings show the need for investment in the country’s roads. “Congestion is getting worse and is costing businesses millions of pounds every day in lost productivity. It is critical that the Government keeps investing in the road network to keep our workforce on the move. The workplace is changing rapidly, and many businesses are recognising the benefits of homeworking supported by improvements to technology such as fast broadband and video conferencing. Employees can enjoy increased flexibility in their working patterns and these are important steps in reducing congestion and helping businesses to become more flexible.”