cars on the outskirts of the city -- to the annoyance of area businesses and residents.

Mr. William Cox of Miles Market told The Royal Gazette all-day parkers were using the grocery store's parking lot as their home base.

And Mr. Cox said paid parking had compounded the problem.

"We have to have security to protect our business' parking,'' he said. "On occasion we have up to 50 cars left in our parking lot for the entire day.'' A resident in the Rosemont Avenue, Pembroke area also told The Royal Gazette that motorists were scurrying to find any possible parking on regions such as Rosemont Avenue, Woodbourne Avenue, Gorham Road and Richmond Road, where they could avoid paying for parking and one-hour parking limitations.

And realtor Mr. Steel Butz said he felt that the problem had escalated due to the new parking voucher system.

A visit to the area by The Royal Gazette revealed that parking spaces on Woodbourne Avenue, Gorham and Richmond Roads were all filled.

But a quick drive through Hamilton during lunch hour revealed 30 empty parking places on Front Street and 14 on Reid Street.

Mr. Butz said for the past two years he has lodged complaints to the Police Commissioner -- via Pembroke West Central MP the Hon. Ann Cartwright Decouto -- expressing his concern about the all-day parking that on Rosemont Avenue between the Royal Palms guest house and Edgehill Manor guest house.

In his letters to Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto, Mr. Butz said the parked cars on Rosemont Avenue narrowed the two-way road to one lane, making it dangerous for visitors staying in the area and for parents who pick up their children from the nearby day-care centre.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto has called for the road to be made one-hour parking or to simply complete the yellow line.

But, according to letters from former Commissioner Mr. Lennett Edwards and Mr.

Colin Coxall, the situation posed no danger to motorists.

Mr. Coxall could not be reached for comment yesterday.

And Corporation of Hamilton secretary Mr. Roger Sherratt said he had not received any complaints from the Pembroke West area.

But Mr. Sherratt confirmed that there had been complaints from residents in the northern parts of Hamilton.

"This is a new system and people will always try and find a way to dodge it,'' he said. "But after we open the multi-level car park (at Bull's Head), the Corporation plans to make it very difficult for all-day parkers to park on the streets. All-day parkers will eventually have no choice but to park in the lots.'' OFF THE STREETS -- The introduction of one-hour paid parking on the streets shown above in Hamilton is driving car owners to the outskirts of the city for all day parking.