Milan, Rome among 10 worst European cities for traffic

Italian families spend about 13% of income on private auto costs

(ANSA) - Rome, June 10 - Milan and Rome are two of the 10 worst European cities for traffic congestion while Florence is included among Italian communities with the highest percentage of auto ownership, according to a survey released Tuesday by researchers Eurispes.

While the Italian average is more than 600 cars for 1,000 people, those levels peak in Rome and Florence, which recorded more than 700 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, said the survey on mobility and transportation. Private cars are still "the most widely used means of transportation" which slow traffic and hurt productivity, said the survey. That means each Milan resident spends an average of about 70 hours per year in traffic, while the average Roman sits in traffic for 45 hours per year.

Congestion means traffic speeds average "well below 10 kilometre per hour...similar to the time of early industrialization," said the report. The survey also calculated that the Italian family spends about 13% of total income on private transportation.