Congestion blamed as Cork tradespeople ranked second worst for delays

Cork tradespeople spend almost six hours a week in traffic going to and from jobs —and this places them only behind their counterparts in Waterford as the most delayed by traffic congestion in the country, a new poll suggests.

According to the Chill Insurance survey of 500 people who use vans for their work — including Cork carpenters, plumbers, builders, electricians, and other tradespeople — they spend an average of five hours and 57 minutes a week in traffic, costing them an estimated €157.

Over the full year, the time spent in traffic comes to 310 hours and the cost for this has been estimated as €8,144. 

Tradespeople in Waterford face an average of six hours and 22 minutes in traffic a week, while in Dublin tradespeople are stuck in traffic for approximately five hours and two minutes each week.

Loss

Tradespeople report turning down an average of five jobs a month due to traffic, leading to a potential loss of 60 jobs annually per person, while more than one third admitted to turning down jobs in high-traffic areas and 38% avoided work due to estimated travel times.

Those in the gas and boiler industry spend about five hours and 54 minutes in traffic a week, adding up to 13 full days of work lost over a year.

This is followed by bricklaying, with professionals in the field spending seven hours per week travelling, over six of which is spent in traffic — the most of any industry. Bricklayers are, therefore, losing two weeks of work during one year due to traffic, meaning they miss out on about €156 weekly, or €8,129 each year.

Electricians also face high losses, with €152 in weekly missed income amounting to nearly €7,893 annually.

Ian O’Reilly, of Chill Insurance, pointed out that heavier traffic meant more frequent braking, increased engine idling, and accelerated tyre and brake pad wear. “This wear and tear not only means more regular vehicle maintenance but also increases the likelihood of breakdowns,” he said.