High Cost Of Living: Drivers Resort To Old Spare Parts Posing Danger To Passengers

Some long-distance drivers in the country have resorted to using old spare parts due to the high cost of brand-new spare parts on the market.

The worn-out spare parts are a danger to the drivers and passengers who could lose their lives in accidents, but the drivers are unperturbed.

They claim that the prices of spare parts and maintenance costs at the mechanic shops have compelled most of them to service faulty vehicles alone without engaging qualified mechanics to fix the problem.

The cost of fuel prices at the pumps alone is dwindling their daily profit.

All these are happening at a time of skyrocketing fuel prices that have worsened the situation.

In an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Joy News, some drivers said: “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, the used tires I bought for GH¢500 last month are now GH¢700.”

Another driver who lamented the same issue indicated that “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.”

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

The current economic situation is compelling business owners to adjust their business strategies. As traders increase their products on the market daily, drivers and mechanics are also making adjustments to their profit calculations to gain profit in the economic terrain.

Moreover, the poor road network is making the work of drivers very challenging as the roads’ potholes affect their vehicles’ tenacity.

Drivers are calling on the government to intervene in the economic crisis due to the alternatives citizens take to survive in the country.