issues, claimed the deputy chairman of the Road Safety Council.

W.A. (Toppy) Cowen told members of St. George's Rotary Club on Monday night that a Green Paper on Traffic will be unveiled by the Government possibly during the next session of Parliament.

But Mr. Cowen said the report may not be enough.

"I think we need a national strategy, a broad overview of everything used on the Island,'' he said. "I don't think this paper will address everything that needs to be addressed.'' And he said his call for a national strategy on road safety was backed by Police Commissioner Colin Coxall.

"The Commissioner also feels a national strategy would provide a greater focus on road safety, rider training, road engineering, traffic calming, remote enforcement and other technologies rather than confrontational Policemen,'' Mr. Cowen said.

He also suggested that The Tumim Report -- the 1992 paper outlining the problems with the Island's criminal justice system -- was the reason why some drunk drivers had been allowed to keep their licences.

"The report recommended the abolition of mandatory sentences for road traffic offences, thus increasing the discretion of the courts,'' Mr. Cowen claimed.

Last week, Mr. Cowen blasted Senior Magistrate Will Francis for allowing a drunk driver to keep his truck licence. The man was only banned from driving cars for two years.

But he suggested that Bermuda adopt a demerit points system where offenders would not be disqualified for minor offences unless they showed no effort to change their driving habits.

TRAFFIC TFC