There has been a 20% increase in the number of traffic jams and delays on Dutch roads this year, the ANWB motoring organisation said on Thursday. There has also been a notable increase in congestion outside rush hours, the ANWB said.

The worst day for jams this year was November 1, when there was a combination of heavy rain and accidents. The total jams stretched for 1,135 kilometres at the height of the rush hour.

Most rush hour jams occurred in the areas around Rotterdam and The Hague, but there were also major problems in Gelderland, Overijssel, Noord-Brabant and Limburg. In the north there were fewer jams when compared with 2017.

The worst traffic black spot during the morning rush hour remains the A4 motorway from The Hague to Amsterdam, the ANWB said.  Efforts to tackle congestion on the A4 in particular have failed to solve much because of economic growth, which has boosted the number of cars on the roads.

The worst evening congestion is on the A27 between Utrecht and Breda.