Cambridge is the 'commuter congestion capital' of the UK

Every year Cambridge commuters spend an extra week stuck in congestion compared to the second-most congested city in the country.

A study by Admiral of 20 UK cities has showed that Cambridge commuters spend 23 days a year in traffic. The average is 12 days.

And Cambridge has the second highest influx of commuters: a 294 per cent increase in cars and vans in the city.

Admiral also analysed the number of cars and vans entering each city for work compared with those leaving the city to commute elsewhere, to understand the direct impact on city congestion.

The report claims journeys during rush hour in Cambridge take 72 minutes longer than in the off-peak period.

The A14 from Huntingdon to Cambridge is also the most congested route in the UK.

Sabine Williams, head of motor at Admiral, said:"Commuters suffering congestion in cities like Cambridge may find that new public transport options including the guided bus can save significant amounts of time, and with Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton set to be 'clean air zones' by 2020, drivers of older diesel vehicles in particular will be well placed to start considering alternatives.

"As a nation we're clearly still big fans of commuting by car, with 19 of the 20 cities we investigated showing net inflows of commuters. If new homes being built across the continue to have the average of 1.16 vehicles per household, our roads are set to get busier too, making congestion worse."

Number of days spent in congestion

1. Cambridge, 23

2. Leeds, 16

3. Manchester, 15

4. Sheffield, 14

5. Edinburgh, 14

6. Birmingham, 14

7. Bristol, 13

8. Cardiff, 13

9. Aberdeen, 12

10. London, 12

11. Nottingham, 12

12. Brighton, 11

13. Derby, 11

14. Glasgow, 10

15. Oxford, 10

16. Liverpool, 9

17. Coventry, 7

18. Southampton, 7

19. Norwich, 7

20. Newcastle, 6

Average, 12