Nairobi on list of worst places to park

Nairobi drivers are among the most frustrated in the world according to a survey that was carried out by IBM.

The IBM Global Parking Survey, which was released Thursday, said that lack of parking spaces had driven motorists to despair with some venting their anger on other motorists. (See related: Nairobi among cities with worst jams)

“In the past year, nearly six out of 10 drivers have abandoned their search for a space at least once, and more than a quarter have argued with a fellow motorist over a parking space,” said the report.

Drivers in Nairobi averaged 31.7 minutes in their longest search for a parking spot compared to 30 minutes in Bangalore and 41 minutes in Milan.

The time spent looking for parking has both a financial and emotional cost and IBM hopes that this data will be used by urban planners to better manage traffic in the city.

“Today, there is a massive amount of transportation data available that can help cities alleviate congestion and improve transportation services, such as parking,” said IBM Smarter Cities global general manager Gerry Mooney.

IBM East Africa country manager Tony Mwai said that combining both the information collected and the needs of drivers can better match the limited parking supply against the massive demand.

This is expected to ease the gridlock, which according to a Kenya Bus Service study carried out in 2008 found that traffic jams cost the country nearly Sh30 billion annually.

The IBM global parking survey collected data from 8,042 commuters in 20 cities around the world and is part of IBM’s annual Commuter Pain survey which is conducted to better understand consumer attitudes around traffic congestion, as the issue reaches crisis proportions around the world, and higher levels of auto emissions stir environmental concerns.