Some long distance commercial drivers are now using improvised or old spare parts to fix their broken vehicles.

Although the situation exposes passengers and other road users to danger because of the possible breakdown or crashes of such vehicles, the drivers say they have no other option due to the high cost of living in the country.

They have cited the increase in costs of spare parts, fuel prices and charges by mechanics as the major factors.

“We now take our faulty car parts to the shops, especially bolt joints, to be improvised. Even home used parts are very expensive. Just imagine, used tyres I bought for ¢500 last month is now ¢700. I can’t afford it any longer, a driver said in a JoyNews interview.

Another frustrated driver added, “Maintenance is now a challenge for me because everything has increased and my sales can’t afford it. It is now expensive to even buy new tires.”

The situation has become murky to the extent that these drivers do not even go the shop for safety checks.

They revealed that unless their vehicles develop faults, they do not go the mechanical shop.

“If my car doesn’t develop a fault, I don’t go for maintenance,” a driver said.

They drivers are, therefore, calling on government to intervene in the worsening economic situation in the country so that they will be able to make ends meet and service their vehicles to ensure safety on the road.