Arabic version: الحفر تُلحق أضراراً بالسيارات على طريق برينس السريع في فيكتوريا

According to ABC News, heavy rain since Thursday night has opened large, sharp-edged potholes on Victorian roads and highways, damaging vehicles and forcing motorists off the Princes Highway in Gippsland.

At Rosedale, Karen Ester was travelling to Leongatha when her vehicle hit a water-filled pothole and suffered a blown tyre. While waiting for the RACV, she used a pink umbrella to warn other motorists. She said more than 50 drivers passed the hazard and that it had damaged at least five other cars.

Rebecca Billing’s family, returning to Geelong from a holiday at Golden Beach, struck two potholes in their new car and had it towed to a nearby town. Another family, including 12-year-old Andy Gaudion, was left waiting in the rain after their vehicle hit a pothole and blew two tyres.

Road maintenance is expected to be an election issue before Victoria’s November poll. The Victorian Coalition has pledged $5 billion to rebuild roads if elected, while Premier Ben Carroll has promised to increase annual pothole repairs from 250,000 to 500,000 at a cost of $352 million. A recent auditor-general’s report found almost half of state-managed roads were in very poor condition.