TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28: Major parking changes are to be introduced in Hamilton next week – with commercial vehicles having to pay while loading and unloading.

According to City of Hamilton Chief Operating Officer Edward Benevides: "Starting on Monday, November 1, if a business has a commercial vehicle that travels to, and parks on Hamilton streets, they will be impacted.

"All vehicles that park in a loading bay must display a parking voucher or Easy Pay meter and can park in the space for up to one hour but only if it is actively loading and unloading. Only goods vehicles are legally allowed to park in a loading zone. All commercial vehicles should park in a regular parking space."

Mr. Benevides added: "If a goods vehicle is not loading or unloading it must use a regular parking space and display a parking voucher or use an Easy Park meter.”

Organizations with commercial vehicles that need more than one hour of parking, in order to complete a job, business owners can buy a permit which exempts the vehicle from the one hour parking restriction in car parking bays.

Mr. Benevides stated: "Another parking change involves parking on Reid Street. Last November, we adopted a policy of no car parking along the entire length of Reid Street between 8am and 10am. This restriction allowed for the faster flow of traffic into Hamilton during the early morning commute.

"After careful evaluation, the City is modifying this parking restriction. Car parking will be reinstated on Reid Street between Court and Parliaments Streets between 8am and 10am. Three additional 15 minute car parking spaces will be added to Reid Street between Parliament and Burnaby Streets. In all 15 minute parking bays motorists will have to use parking vouchers or an Easy Pay meter in order to park. These 15 minute parking bays can also be used by motorists between 8am and 10am."

Are you affected by this? What do you think? Email news@royalgazette.bm

For more on this story see tomorrow’s Royal Gazette