People who own HOWO trucks and drivers have welcomed a government proposal to set up a truck driving school with the aim of reducing accidents caused by the trucks. The school was recently proposed by the Minister of Infrastructure, Ernest Nsabimana. Also read: Govt to set up school for truck drivers However, the drivers and truck owners told The New Times that the school should be privately-owned and supported by the government in various ways. Desire Nsabimana, who works with companies that import HOWO trucks said that they seek partnership with experienced professional drivers and driving schools to train other drivers so as to reduce the accidents caused by trucks. Also read: Police launch probe into ‘HOWO’ trucks after fatal accidents. HOWO trucks first arrived in Rwanda in 2016 according to car dealers. “In our assessment, we found that the trucks have no problem. It is drivers who have no experience. A driving license is not enough. Many driving schools focus only on traffic rules. That is why the professional training school is needed,” he said. He said that the training in terms of practice should be carried out across the country. “There are many places across the country where truck accidents were reported, these should be used to train drivers as a way of mastering skills and avoiding accidents. Experienced drivers should be used in the proposed school,” he said. Nsabimana said that professional training is needed considering that some drivers are given jobs after spending a long time driving other types of vehicles yet the required skills and experience to drive HOWO trucks are different. Also read: Drivers are to blame for accidents, says HOWO truck owners. “If the truck itself weighs 16 tonnes, to drive it when it is loaded with 50-tonne cargo, it requires experience to drive it since the features are also different,” he noted. Some drivers told The New Times that they do not get enough time to rest citing it as among the reasons behind the accidents. “There is a combination of factors that have increased truck accidents. Some employers hire drivers who have no experience in truck driving because they only know each other. Other drivers spend a long time on the roads and cause accidents due to tiredness. HOWO trucks have three types of brake-engine brake, speed brake, emergency brake-and drivers need intensive training on this,” said Jean Boscho Muhawenimana, a HOWO truck driving teacher. Francois Xavier Nsengiyumva, has spent 10 years driving HOWO trucks. He told The New Times that the increasing accidents were caused by unprofessional drivers. “This truck has its own catalog on how to drive it. It requires experience. You do not drive it as you want. Some drive the trucks at high speed to make many rounds transporting cargo. So, if the driver doesn’t comply with the catalog guidelines, it will cause an accident. Some employers hire unprofessional drivers whom they pay little salaries,” he said. Mubaraka Mwongera, another truck driver who has spent 14 years driving trucks reiterated that lack of experience and employers who do not treat the truck drivers well is behind increasing accidents. Also read: 1,900 killed in road accidents since 2020. “The training school is needed and it should operate in a way that is different from how other schools have been doing. You can’t switch from bus driving to trucks without first intensive training. The proposed driving school should hire experienced drivers and train others both in rural and urban areas,” he said. Amerika Fred, a truck driving instructor at Action Driving School emphasized that the increasing number of HOWO accidents were caused by inexperienced and reckless drivers. “The training in a professional way is needed. If you plan to drive such trucks for the first time, you need intensive training and we are ready to work with the government to set up a professional truck driving school. The private investor should take the lead and get support from the government,” he said.
