Smaller cities such as Reșița, Giurgiu, and Călărași have the most fluid traffic in Romania. At the opposite end, Bucharest remains a special case, with congestion losses equivalent to more than 12 working days per year for the average driver, according to an analysis by the Institute for Visionary Cities.
In contrast, residents of Reșița, Giurgiu, and Călărași lose only 3–3.5 working days annually to traffic congestion. This confirms that smaller urban dimensions ensure constant and efficient mobility.
Compared to last year’s Index results, Oradea climbs 17 places, while Alba Iulia and Bistrița each gain eight positions. Reșița, consolidating its top spot, also improves by six places compared to last year.
On the other hand, Bucharest remains the major outlier in Romania’s urban network, with an Excess Travel Time Ratio (ETTR) of around 45% and losses of over 12.7 working days per year. Timișoara and Iași also cross the threshold of 9 lost days annually.
Meanwhile, several cities, some of them small, record steep declines compared to 2024: Alexandria and Cluj-Napoca drop by seven positions each, while Brașov and Tulcea fall by five.
Interestingly, two medium-sized cities, Brăila and Galați (each with over 150,000 residents), have entered the “green zone” of the ranking, with just 3.6–4.3 days lost annually to congestion.
The data also show that in many cities, minimum speeds are no longer recorded at 08:00 or 17:00, but rather between 11:00 and 14:00. The explanation lies in flexible work schedules, staggered hours, and a more dispersed flow of travel throughout the day.
