The new lane changes and other measures introduced on parts of the VOAK over the past year will, it is hoped, do much to reduce the fatal accidents which have long blighted the highway’s safety record. In particular, they should reduce the likelihood of head-on collisions which have been the main source of fatalities.
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More road safety measures and progress on the new VOAK
Among the speakers at the “Kriti 2030” forum organised by the national newspaper Eleftheros Typos in Heraklion on 13th May was the Minister for Infrastructure Christos Dimas, who presented an overview of the current state of infrastructure works in Crete, focusing mainly on the VOAK. His talk was illustrated with videos taken in April showing work in progress on the different sections of the project. The following is a translated transcript of his comments, the full video of which can be seen on the Minister’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fX_avdqXAQ#
Continue readingMultiple traffic offences recorded in Crete
In our previous post on the subject of road safety, and the fatal accident in Chania on 11th January, we commented that driver behaviour is a strong contributing factor to the high incidence of fatalities in road accidents in Crete, “with speeding and reckless overtaking featuring high on the list, especially on the VOAK, and driving under the influence of alcohol also being commonplace. The failure to wear seatbelts is undoubtedly another factor.”
Continue readingThe need to improve road safety in Crete
As we reported a week ago the Prime Minister, on a visit to Rethymnon, made an impassioned plea for better road safety in Crete. The government can only do so much, he said, it is up to local authorities to help achieve a change in the culture so that lives are not needlessly lost: “Let me make an appeal to you,” he said. “We will do what should be done, but it is something which needs to become common property for us all, especially here in Crete where we have a tendency to be more ‘unruly’. And it relates particularly – I’m looking at the mayors here – to the mountainous areas where, especially in small villages, young kids take cars, tractors, motorbikes. Put some effort into it, for God’s sake. We can’t do everything by ourselves as the central power.”
Continue readingProgress on infrastructure projects for Crete
“We are ready in the first three months of 2025 to finally sign the contract for the main portion of the VOAK,” the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced during a visit to Rethymnon in early December. He added that works of national importance in Crete, with a budget of millions of euros, are being scheduled for the first time. According to APE-MPE, the Prime Minister said that the government has established from live “fermentation” with the local communities which projects need to be prioritised, noting that the government’s new platform erga.gov.gr constitutes a comprehensive digital repository of works, “answering to one of the basic requirements of government, which is accountability”.
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