Govt to set up school for truck drivers

The New Times.

The Ministry of Infrastructure has announced plans to establish a school that will train truck drivers in a bid to reduce vehicle accidents.

The plan was announced by Ernest Nsabimana, the Infrastructure Minister on Saturday evening.

He said the decision was taken following the rising number of accidents caused by HOWO trucks.

Nsabimana said that a team of experts has been established to assess whether the issue is with trucks or people driving them but added that after assessing the issues, a professional driving school will be set up to train truck drivers in a bid to curb accidents caused by the trucks.

“There is a team that is assessing the cause of these accidents. It is looking at drivers’ behaviours and skills. The new trucks also need to be tested before starting operations. That is why there is a plan to set up a school that will train truck drivers. Besides having driving licenses, drivers must have certification,” he said.

Rwanda National Police in November last year revealed that 1,971 people had died from accidents since 2020

It however, said that the incidences are decreasing.

Owners of HOWO trucks have said that the recent accidents involving their trucks were not as a result of mechanical issues but rather the incompetence of drivers.

The truck owners have in the past requested the police to put in more efforts to contain reckless driving and ensure people who are licensed to drive heavy trucks are highly skilled.

Joseph Muhire, who owns HOWO trucks says that there is also a concern of drivers working overtime and asked owners of HOWO trucks to be lenient and allow drivers to work for limited hours and have enough rest.

The City of Kigali has had the biggest number of fatalities (493), followed by the Eastern Province (492) and the Southern Province (407).

Fatalities recorded in the Western and Northern provinces are 329 and 250, respectively.