Results for an annual congestion survey carried out by the road-rescue lords at NRMA are in, and this year, Western Sydney has gained a new crown – with Sydney motorists voting traffic in Western Sydney the worst in Sydney (and the state). The survey has been carried out for the past 16 years, and this is the first time that Western Sydney has scored the top spot on the list of nightmare driving destinations – beating out Sydney's CBD.
The Auburn stretch of Parramatta Road was ranked as the worst road in Sydney on the NRMA 2023 Rate Your Road survey, with roads in Western Sydney dominating the list of the worst roads in the city (four out of the ten worst roads were located in Sydney’s west).
Three-hundred-and-seventy NRMA Business members took part in this year’s survey, with 17 per cent voting Western Sydney as the worst place to drive in the city. Forteen per cent of respondents listed Sydney CBD as the worst place to drive, 13 per cent said South-West Sydney, and 12 per cent the Inner West.
While Sydney’s west was clearly identified as the worst place for motorists in Sydney, respondents overwhelmingly agreed that congestion has worsened across the entire city. In fact, more than 50 per cent of respondents estimated that traffic-related delays have added an additional 20-30 minutes to journey times compared with last year.
“For the first time in the survey’s history, Western Sydney outranked the Sydney CBD as the worst area in Sydney for traffic congestion. This presents obvious challenges for Government to ensure traffic in this critical region does not hold up businesses trying to deliver goods and services,” says NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury.
And while the government is introducing measures to improve driving conditions for Western Sydney (including capping toll fees) not every change has been successful. In fact, the NRMA’s survey found that 56 per cent of respondents believed that the Rozelle Interchange has worsened traffic congestion.
The good news? Sydney Metro West is going ahead, though the completion date is estimated at 2032 – so don't hold your breath. In the meantime, if you were wondering how to claim a rebate from all of those toll roads, this should help.
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