Tourists are facing a frustrating experience as their vehicles traverse damaged roads in West Sumatra Province.

Footage captured on the Bukittinggi-Padang route via Malalak on Sunday (6/23/2024) shows police officers directing traffic and warning drivers to proceed with caution on the waterlogged road.

Drivers who misinterpreted the instructions ended up stuck in a pothole.

Second Inspector Yandi, a traffic police officer from the Bukittinggi Police Precinct, stated that the roads have become heavily damaged due to increased traffic over the past month as the primary route was severely damaged by the cold lahar flood from Mount Marapi on May 11, 2024.

"Due to the cold lahar flood from Mount Marapi yesterday, this alternative route is being used to travel to Bukittinggi from Padang via Malalak. As a result, the route is congested with vehicles and many large vehicles that are not suitable for this road, causing damage to the road surface then slowing down," 2nd Inspector Yandi explained in the video.

The traffic congestion is also exacerbated by the school holidays, as many tourists are traveling.

The slowdown in vehicle speeds has resulted in long queues of vehicles stuck in traffic. The normal 2-hour travel time has now increased to 5-6 hours. (end)