Three new pay and display machines which accept credit cards and US coins are operating in City Hall car park.

The new machines accept not only Bermuda $1 and 25 cents coins but also US $1, $5 and $10 notes, and all major credit cards and debit cards.

Corporation of Hamilton Secretary, Roger Sherratt said: "We installed these machines a few months ago and had some teething problems with them, but they are now up and running, and we are delighted to see that over 50 percent of the transactions on these three machines are with credit cards and debit cards.

"This was a service the Corporation was keen to provide because we were aware of the inconvenience of commuters always having to carry large numbers of coins," he said. "The commission charged for use of credit cards is paid by the Corporation so motorists only pay the regular parking fee.

"We were fortunate to have the Bank of Bermuda offer a very competitive rate for providing this service which we see as a real benefit to the motoring public. We will be trying out the new machines for a few months to make sure they are reliable and will then look at gradually replacing more of the older machines."

He said there is one major difference compared with the old machines.

"With the old machines it was necessary to insert your money first and then press the button to receive your pay and display ticket," Mr. Sherratt explained. "With the new machines it is important not to put the money (or your credit card) in first. The first thing to do is to set the machine for the length of time you wish to stay, and then insert the money or credit card.

"One other way of paying to park in the City car parks is to purchase a monthly pass from the Corporation's offices at City Hall. These permits were introduced last year as a convenience for regular commuters and have proved very popular indeed."

The Corporation of Hamilton has just installed a new handicapped parking bay on lower Reid Street, next to Marks and Spencers Store, for people with handicapped parking permits.

This bay will be available 24 hours per day for use by permit holders, and that includes between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Mondays to Fridays when the rest of the lower Reid Street car parking bays become loading zones for the delivery of goods and services. Drivers of commercial vehicles are advised not to use this bay at any time.

Most of the City's handicapped parking bays are located in car parks, but there are two other bays on streets, one in front of the General Post Office on Church Street, and one in front of the Library on Queen Street.

People issued with handicapped parking can park anywhere in the voucher parking area for up to two hours with a regular parking voucher in order to give them more time to do their shopping or their business in Hamilton.

Mr. Sherratt added: "One problem we have with the handicapped bays is that they are often used by people who are not handicapped and who do not have a permit.

"The Corporation has recently started to paint all of the handicapped parking bays with bright blue stripes in addition to the internationally recognised logo so there is no excuse for not seeing them," he said.