Thousands of drivers have paid over €3million in fines after they were caught speeding on the National Road by one of 36 speed cameras along its 225 km length.
So far in August more than a thousand speeding tickets were issued by the traffic control centre in Rethymnon.
It was claimed that in the first year of operating, the speed cameras have reduced accidents and increased the revenue of the authorities.
In the year since the cameras started working they recorded 9000 speeding offenses.
At the same time the number of fatalities was reduced to 9 – but at the same time there was a 15% reduction in the traffic on the National Road and marked increase in accidents in secondary and urban roads.
The cameras had been in place since 2007 but were only switched on last year.
There are two warning signs before each camera, but neither the signs, or the camera itself is always clearly visible.
The Organisation for the Prevention of Accidents in Crete have argued that there needs to be a review of the speed limits and that the regional authorities should have the responsibility of that review.
The BOAK Traffic Police also thinks that the speed limits need to be reviewed, but the responsibility for the decision is passed around from ministry to ministry (Environment. Transport, Home) with none prepared to spent the amount of money required.
A proportion of the fines that range from €40 for exceeding the speed limit by up to 20 km to € 300 (30Km + over the limit) go to the municipalities
