Vinsentzou Kornarou in the centre of Chania is a narrow one-way street which rises from the junction of Markou Botsari and Apokoronou to hit Tzanakaki Street opposite the Kypos. It is a handy short-cut for motorists who, having left the VOAK at the Vamvakopoulo interchange and taken the Kissamou/Markou Botsari route towards the centre, want to reach the area east of the Agora without engaging the traffic congestion on Kydonias Street.
For many years it was a dark and narrow thoroughfare, defaced by graffiti and frequently blocked by cars parked half on the pavement. In 2016 it was given a makeover by Chania council and equipped with iron barriers to stop pavement parking, a couple of dedicated parking spots, a few trees, and widened pavements with guide strips for the visually impaired. Around the same time, local artist Vaso Tzalou volunteered to decorate many of the buildings with her naturalistic paintings as a deterrent to graffiti artists, something she has done in several parts of the city including the National Stadium and the Chania General Hospital.
The street now has a more cheerful aspect, and with fewer obstacles it is possible for drivers to pick up a certain amount of speed as the roadway rises towards Tzanakaki Street. However, about 50 metres from the top it crosses Sfakion, another narrow one-way street which drops down towards the Agora. Drivers coming down Sfakion have the right of way and are similarly tempted to put on speed. There is a Stop sign on Kornarou which is often not seen or ignored, with the result that there are frequent accidents at the junction, which has been dubbed a karmaniola – the Greek word for guillotine which is also used as a term for an accident black spot.
Traffic coming down Sfakion Street (right) has the right of way and there is a Stop sign on Kornarou Street (above), but this is often ignored, causing accidents. Photos: Google Maps.
As reported on the Haniotika Nea website on Wednesday, another accident on Tuesday evening has highlighted the problem:
‘There was yet another accident on Tuesday afternoon (6th February) at the junction of Kornarou and Sfakion streets, an accident black spot in the centre of Chania, with local businesses drawing attention to the need for a speed bump on Kornarou, which together with the Stop signs will slow the driver down.
‘The accident occurred at 7.00 pm, when two cars collided at the intersection. The two vehicles were badly damaged but fortunately there were no injuries. The drivers were unscathed, while at that hour there were no pedestrians on the pavement. The junction in question has proved especially dangerous, with quite a few collisions between cars. According to local businesses, most of the accidents have been due to drivers ignoring the Stop sign on Kornarou Street.
‘Spyros Papadokokolakis, who runs an accountant’s office on Sfakion told Haniotika Nea: “I’m regularly flying out of my office when I hear the sound of an accident. Fortunately we don’t have any victims. But it is still a shock until we find out that no one has been injured. It’s a dangerous spot because a car will shoot onto the opposite pavement and could hit a pedestrian.”
‘Mr Papadokokolakis says that formerly there was only one Stop sign on Kornarou Street. “After a lot of effort and attempts on our part they put in a second Stop sign, but this still didn’t have the desired result. Then we drew a Stop on the roadway, but of course it got worn away. … What we suggest,” he says, “is that they install a low speed bump, which the driver will see and slow down, and in conjunction with the Stop signs we will have the desired result of stopping the drivers.”
Having ourselves narrowly avoided a collision there some years ago, we always proceed with caution on approaching the intersection, but it seems that some drivers do not. Since a contributing factor is that it is a blind corner, with drivers on Kornarou having to edge forward to see what is coming down Sfakion, the installation of a mirror on the corner would no doubt help.
Following a similar accident six years ago, which resulted in one driver being taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, a Chania traffic policeman had some wise words for local motorists:
“What we need to tell our citizens is that they need to be more careful when they are driving in town, regardless of whether they have a Stop or there is no Stop. It’s better if we drive defensively, that is with all due care, so as to avoid fateful mistakes.”
(Haniotika Nea, 07/02/24)