Funeral parlors have put hearses to work as buses to provide desperately needed public transport, in yet another illustration of Zimbabwe's economic collapse. Police in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, hailed the move as a "public service" but warned drivers of hearses, trucks and other vehicles not to overload commuters, state radio said Thursday. Transportation licensing laws would not be invoked unless there were fights to board vehicles, the radio service said. It did not say if rides were given with coffins aboard.

The prices of gasoline and commuter fares were slashed by more than half under a government decree last month, leading to acute gas shortages and forcing many minibuses, the main means of commuter transport, out of service.

A routine 30 minute trip from Harare's suburbs now takes up to five hours, most spent waiting to flag down passing drivers who give rides for money.

Minibus drivers were fined earlier this week for overcharging. One driver of a 12-seater was convicted for overcharging 18 passengers desperate to get home.

In another twist, the Zimnat Lion Insurance Company began offering businesses insurance against staff arrests.

At least 5,000 executives, including top corporate directors, have been arrested, along with managers, street vendors and bus drivers who broke the June 26 order to cut prices of all goods and services by around 50 percent.

The move - meant to tame official inflation of 4,500 percent - has left shelves across the country bare of corn meal, bread, meat, eggs, milk and other staples.

The state Herald newspaper, a government mouthpiece, said Thursday that six businessmen were sentenced to 105 hours of community service cleaning government buildings. Magistrate Olivia Mariga noted that fines were not deterring "economic saboteurs" who defy the new price rules.

After Wednesday's court session, two of the businessmen were overheard "asking court officials if it was possible for them to hire other people to carry out the community service on their behalf," the paper reported.

Zimbabwe is embroiled in its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980, blamed largely on the seizures of thousands of white-owned farms began in 2000. Unemployment is around 80 percent, and political unrest is high. Foreign investment, loans and development aid have dried up.

Long-time ruler Robert Mugabe blames Western sanctions and rejects criticism that mismanagement caused the meltdown. The government accuses Western nations of backing a political and economic campaign for "regime change" to try to oust Mugabe, 83, who has ruled Zimbabwe for 27 years since independence but is under increasing pressure to step down.