A new survey has found that traffic congestion in the Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore costs more than $22bn per year.

The Uber-commissioned study called ‘Unlocking Cities: The impact of ridesharing across India’ was conducted by the Boston Consulting Group.

It also revealed that the level of congestion in Indian cities is 149% higher compared to other Asian counterparts. This means that commuters spend 1.5 times longer to travel a given distance on average.

The report assessed the benefits and potentiality of ridesharing in India and thereby helping in reducing traffic congestion in these four cities.

Commenting on the findings of the report, Uber India and South Asia president Amit Jain said: “Through this study, we are hoping to draw the attention of administrators and urban planners on how shared cars and mobility can be part of the solution versus individual car ownership.”

“We are hoping to draw the attention of administrators and urban planners on how shared cars and mobility can be part of the solution versus individual car ownership.”

The study also stated that around 89% of commuters in Delhi and Mumbai plan to buy a new car in the next five years, which may cause further traffic congestion in the cities.

However, around 79% of the respondents indicated that they can terminate their plans to buy a car if the availability and timeliness of ridesharing services touch or exceed private car ownership.

Ridesharing services can help in reducing 33% to 68% of the total cars on the road in these Indian cities, thereby significantly improving traffic movement during peak hours.

Furthermore, it will also help to save nearly 760 to 22,000 acres of unnecessary parking spaces in each of these cities.