Some of Melbourne’s most chronically clogged intersections have been left to gradually get worse for several years, in breach of state guidelines that traffic lights must be reviewed every five years to keep pace with congestion.

VicRoads periodically tweaks Melbourne’s traffic lights to maximise traffic flow as the number of vehicles on the road changes over time, but at the authority’s current rate of progress, some intersections currently face a 20-year wait before the signal phasing is changed.

A report by Auditor-General John Doyle, published on Wednesday, found the state’s transport authorities are failing to make the most of information technology such as intelligent traffic light phasing and tram and bus tracking systems to minimise congestion.

Authorities including the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, VicRoads and Public Transport Victoria ‘‘have no strategy or co-ordinated plan to use ICT traffic management systems’’ to complement broader plans to keep Melbourne’s traffic moving.

The result is an increasingly saturated road network, with deteriorating traffic flow that results in motorists and tram and bus passengers alike spending more time stuck in traffic.