The deputy chairman of the Road Safety Council yesterday blasted Senior Magistrate Will Francis for allowing a banned driver to keep his truck licence.

Toppy Cowen said he was "horror struck'' when he read The Royal Gazette on Monday and discovered that the man was allowed to keep his licence.

Police had observed the man driving erratically, nearly hitting a wall and veering over the centre line.

The driver was given a breath test and was charged with impaired driving.

Mr. Francis banned the man from driving cars for two years and fined him $600, but allowed him to keep his truck licence.

"I'm baffled why this inebriated person, who was a danger to the public, was allowed to continue driving on our roads,'' Mr. Cowen said.

And he said his call for the "madness to stop'' was supported by clergy and the Police.

"Canon Francis enunciated his feelings to his congregation with his sermon on Road Safety Week,'' Mr. Cowen noted. "He described the Council's job as herculean in addressing speeding and drunk driving.'' Mr. Cowen also revealed that Police Commissioner Colin Coxall had assigned Ch.

Insp. Larry Smith, formerly in charge of Police' western division, to be solely dedicated to the traffic division.

Ch. Insp. Smith could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, a week of activities organised by the Road Safety Council to highlight road safety ends today with a day of fun at Belly Busters from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. for five to 11-year-olds.

user'' procession through the streets of Hamilton, a national go slow day, and a two-day forum at City Hall.

Support for the latter two events was minimal.

The forum featured a variety of speakers, including Mr. Cowen, Road Safety Officer Delcina Bean-Burrows, Tourism public relations manager Charles Webbe, and Bermuda Bicycle Association president Carlos DeSilva, and various video presentations.