Dubai commuters spent three working days stuck in heavy traffic last year, study finds

But that's relatively rosy compared to Los Angeles - drivers there spent more than 100 hours bumper to bumper

Traffic in JLT, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The average Dubai commuter spent 29 hours stuck in rush hour traffic last year - the equivalent of about three working days - according to a global study.

The Global Traffic Scorecard by international transportation consultancy INRIX placed the city in 78th in a study of hundreds of metropolises.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi fared better, spending an average of 13 hours in peak traffic.

Los Angeles - known for its packed highways and lack of public transport - topped the chart. Drivers there spent on average 102 hours in rush hour traffic.

Read more: Salik, road tolls and how UAE motorists fare in global traffic jam rankings

Moscow, New York, Sao Paulo and San Francisco completed the top five.

Dubai, which has metro and tram lines and Salik toll gates, has improved in recent years and the report was released last week as it was announced that Abu Dhabi is also to introduce road tolls.

“Obviously In Dubai, they built the tram system and the Metro and that’s the kind of infrastructure investment you would hope to see if you want to tackle congestion," said Graham Cookson, chief economist and head of research at INRIX and visiting professor of economics at Surrey Business School.

"How effective road tolls are depends upon whether or not commuters have some good alternatives.”