Figures released by the Flemish Traffic Centre show that September 2024 was a record month for traffic jams on the motorways in our region. During last month there was an average of 988 kilometre.hour of jams every day.
Kilometer.uur is the measuring unit used by the Flemish Traffic Centre for traffic jams. It shows the total length of traffic jams and how long the jams persisted. For example if a 100-km jam lasted for 2 hours the jam would be recorded as having been 200 kilometre.hour.
It has been becoming every busier on Flemish motorways in recent months. Monthly traffic jam records were broken in February, March, April, July, August. In September the all-time traffic jam record was broken. Never before since records began 2011 was the daily average for traffic jams higher than the 988 kilometre.hours recorded last month. The previous record of an average of 917 kilometre.hour per day was set in 2022. The new record is almost double the average for 2012 when jams average 463 each day.
While teleworking that has become more prevalent since the coronavirus pandemic has served to slightly reduce traffic during the morning rush hour, traffic levels increase as the day progresses and there is a lot of traffic particularly during the evening rush hour.
Weekend jams
Traffic jams are not only an issue on weekdays. Last month there was an average of 286 kilmometre.hour of jams on our region’s motorways on Saturdays and Sundays. This is way above the previous monthly record for September of 216 kilometre.hour.
Since records began, only in August of this year (313 kilometre.hour) were the figures for weekend traffic congestion higher. Roadworks and the relatively good weather last months are seen as two reasons for the high levels of traffic during the weekends.
Economic and demographic growth mean that it is unlikely that traffic levels will decrease any time soon.