Owners of HOWO trucks have said that the recent accidents involving their trucks were not as a result of technical issues but rather the incompetence of drivers.
The trucks have been in involved several accidents recently and, as a result, police opened investigations to establish the cause of multiple fatal accidents involving the Chinese made HOWO trucks.
The truck owners are requesting the police to put in efforts containing reckless driving and ensure drivers who are license to drive heavy trucks are highly skilled.
Jean Marie Vianney Usengamungu who has owned HOWO trucks for over two years said that the accidents of should be blamed on misconduct of drivers including drunk driving.
Usengamungu said that this was the same story with FUSO and they thought that the trucks had an issue until the Police placed stringent measures against reckless drivers of FUSO and the issue was resolved.
"When you buy a truck, you hire a driver but you don’t tag along him when he is working. A lot can happen on the road and we request the police to get tough on HOWO drivers and impose higher fines on them,” Usengamungu.
Joseph Muhire who has also owned HOWO trucks for two years said that "the issue is not with the trucks, maybe after the police investigation, we will know what the issue is.”
Muhire said that there is also a concern of drivers working overtime and asked his fellow drivers to be lenient and allow drivers to work for limited hours and have enough rest.
"We need a cooperative so that we can have internal regulations as trucker owners, that will help curb truck accidents and traffic offense,” he said
Emmanuel Hakizimana a truck owner who has been driving this a HOWO truck for eight years said that young people who have zero experience with trucks who come to drive the trucks also contribute to the accidents.
Hakizimana said that getting a driver’s license isn’t enough for truck driving; it requires experience too.
At least 15 HOWO trucks have been involved in fatal accidents since January, according to the Police.