A study into travel times during peak hour traffic has revealed Takapuna in Auckland, followed by Petone in Wellington as the worst places to commute from.

The study, conducted by GPS manufacturer TomTom, took data from thousands of commuters over a nine-month period to determine the most congested routes in the country’s two main centres.

TomTom found travel times from Takapuna to the city increased by 180% longer in the morning than at times when there is no traffic.

The trip which would take 10 minutes on clear roads ballooned to a 28.5 minute journey during peak times.

The geographical construct of Takapuna has been blamed for the time-draining travel.

“It’s pretty obvious why Takapuna is the worst, it’s stuck right off the edge on a peninsula pretty much,” said one commuter.

Chris Kearney from TomTom said  Auckland is the overall worst city for traffic congestion, with North Shore suburbs topping the list.

Ponsonby was the least affected by morning traffic.

“Wellington is building slightly, but Auckland is by far the worst commuting capital in New Zealand,” said Kearney.

In Wellington, Petone has the longest morning commute.

Morning commuters in the seaside suburb spend 26 minutes getting to the city, compared with just 12 in free-flowing traffic.

Khandallah has the best travelling times in the capital.

TomTom hopes the study will help drivers re-think rush hour and make more informed decisions with the help of real-time navigational devices.

“Information is choice really, so if you know what is going on the road, you can do something about it,” Kearney said.

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