Bucharest continues to be one of the most congested cities in the world, according to the TomTom Traffic Index for 2021. With an average congestion level of 50%, the Romanian capital ranks eighth at the global level and sixth in Europe. It is also the city with the worst car traffic in the European Union. Bucharest drivers lost an average of 115 hours in traffic jams last year. The level of traffic congestion was estimated at 50%, increasing by 8% compared to 2020, but decreasing by 2% compared to 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, which imposed numerous travel restrictions and made remote work more popular, Economedia.ro reported. According to TomTom, a 50% congestion level means that, on average, travel times were 50% longer than during the baseline non-congested conditions. This means that a 30-minute trip driven in free-flow condition will take 15 minutes longer when the congestion level is at 50%. May 20 was the most congested day in Bucharest in 2021, and the day of the week with the worst rush hour was Thursday between 17:00 and 18:00. Istanbul tops the ranking of the most congested cities in the world, followed by Moscow, Kyiv, Bogota, Mumbai, Odesa, Saint Petersburg, Bucharest, and Novosibirsk. The 2021 TomTom Traffic Index details the traffic trends seen in 404 cities from 58 countries last year. (Further details are available on : https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/ranking/)
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, congratulated Pope Leo XIV for succeeding Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8. He expressed confidence that the new pope will continue to promote "the spirit of dialogue, peace, and cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church." "In a world facing multiple spiritual, economic, and […]
The organizers of the Untold festival announced they will offer a RON 150 (EUR 30) voucher toward the purchase of a festival pass to anyone who votes on May 18, during the second round of the presidential elections. In an online message, Untold representatives emphasized the connection between civic participation and the future of every […]
The Open Streets program, which sees the city's major arteries close for car traffic and become pedestrian areas, returns this weekend with a program of exhibitions, concerts, and a Festival of Lights. On Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m., the public is invited to the Made in Romania exhibition, which presents a selection of civilian […]
Joseph Stiglitz, the famous economist and professor at Columbia University in New York, and winner of the Nobel Prize in economy in 2001, told an audience in Cluj, Romania, that governments must stimulate exports and key sectors when facing deficits. Stiglitz was in Romania on Thursday, May 8, to receive the title of Doctor Honoris […]
The Constitutional Court unanimously validated on Friday, May 9, the results of the first round of the presidential elections. It also rejected as unfounded a request to annul the elections filed by Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, the presidential candidate of the New Romania Party, it announced. The runoff, set for May 18, will see ultranationalist leader George […]
Bucharest's culinary scene welcomes back OLEA, the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel's celebrated Mediterranean destination, now reimagined with a fresh concept that blends authentic coastal flavours with contemporary sophistication. Following an extensive transformation, OLEA reopens its doors to offer guests a refined journey through the Mediterranean's sun-drenched culinary traditions, right in the heart of Romania's […]
