In 2024, Kota Kinabalu's traffic is dominated by car usage, with 100% of commuters relying on this mode of transportation. The city's traffic inefficiency and CO2 emissions are significant, reflecting the heavy reliance on personal vehicles.

Average Commute Times

The average commute time in Kota Kinabalu is 42 minutes, with a distance of 19.6 km covered primarily by car.
  • Car - Commuters using cars spend an average of 42 minutes driving, covering a distance of 19.6 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
100%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the monsoon season due to adverse weather conditions affecting driving. Holiday seasons see a spike in traffic as locals and tourists travel more frequently.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to frequent traffic jams, especially during rush hours. Limited public transportation options force commuters to depend on personal vehicles.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 8 PM are the best times to avoid traffic congestion. Midday travel is generally smoother, with less traffic on the roads.

Event Impacts

Public events such as festivals and parades can significantly disrupt traffic flow, leading to increased congestion. Sporting events and concerts often result in temporary road closures and detours.

Sustainability Efforts

The city is exploring initiatives to promote cycling and walking to reduce car dependency. Efforts are underway to improve public transport systems to offer viable alternatives to driving.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services are gaining popularity, offering flexible commuting options and reducing the need for personal car ownership. These services help decrease the number of vehicles on the road, potentially easing traffic congestion.

Worldwide
Malaysia

Traffic Rankings

The Traffic Index for Malaysia combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in Malaysia, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Jan, 2025

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 5 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
12.2 miles
Walking
0.2 mins
Driving Car
42.0 mins
Total:
42.2 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
12.2 miles
Walking
0.2 mins
Driving Car
42.0 mins
Total:
42.2 mins
Kota Kinabalu Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Diversifying transportation options could reduce traffic inefficiency and CO2 emissions.

Investing in public transport infrastructure may alleviate congestion and improve commute times.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Kota Kinabalu has a high CO2 emission index of 11172, indicating significant environmental impact.

The reliance on cars contributes heavily to the city's carbon footprint.

Time

The time index of 42.2 suggests moderate traffic delays during peak hours.

Commuters experience an average time expenditure index of 2325.25, reflecting time lost in traffic.

Inefficiency

The traffic inefficiency index is 299.31, highlighting challenges in the current transportation system.

High inefficiency is largely due to the lack of alternative transportation modes.