A story in Saturday's newspaper mistakenly reported there would be free parking throughout Hamilton during the Christmas season. Parking fees are still required at the Number One Shed and City Hall parking lots.

A festive season parking scheme for shoppers will restrict space in Hamilton for office workers.

And regular workers who drive cars into the city will be asked to take the bus, the ferry or car-share over the period.

The new scheme is an attempt to cut pre-Christmas congestion and free parking spaces for shoppers in Hamilton.

It concerns three areas of town where people will be allowed free parking for up to two hours per day. Drivers will be allowed there for only one period in 24 hours.

The covered car park in Number One Shed on Front Street with 52 spaces, 50 spaces behind City Hall and 12 parking bays on Dundonald Street, between its junctions with Court Street and Union Street, are part of the scheme. Number One Shed will open at 9 a.m. on Monday to prevent any workers getting in early.

Anyone breaking the rules by staying at any of the sites for more than two hours will be given parking tickets with a fixed penalty of $30.

Secretary of the Corporation of Hamilton, Mr. Roger Sherratt said the scheme had the backing of the Chamber of Commerce and the North Hamilton Business Association.

Mr. Sherratt said that attempts to create parking spaces in the city have been foiled by office workers in the past.

Pay and Display car parks costing 50 cents every hour are filled every morning by office workers. He said workers tended to beat hourly restrictions on the road by leaving their office every hour to move their cars.

Mr. Sherratt added: "This is wasting manpower in offices and shops and causes more congestion for people wanting to shop.

"I realise people park in these spaces for convenience to work and I apologise for any inconvenience, but we feel it's important to businesses in Hamilton to provide parking facilities for customers during the pre-Christmas shopping time.

"I would encourage workers not to bring their vehicles into the city during Christmas. People can travel by bus, ferry or get a lift from someone else, or make every effort to do so.''