No decision on who will put clamps on illegally parked cars
Car clamps have arrived on the Island to be used in the Hamilton car parks — but first a decision has to be reached on who will do the clamping.
In May, Hamilton Mayor Sutherland Madeiros revealed that 20 clamps were being brought to Bermuda to crackdown on illegally parked cars.
Now the 20 clamps are on the Island and Attorney General Phillip Perinchief has given the legal 'green light' to use them in the car parks. The Corporation of Hamilton, however, is still looking into whether they can be used on the street.
"They have arrived and now we are putting together a plan for the implementation,'" said Mayor Sutherland Madeiros.
The clamps could be part of a wider plan to cut down in illegal parking as last month, Mr. Madeiros revealed the Corporation is also looking at the possibility of installing electronic gates on car parks in Hamilton.
Though details are still being hammered out, Mr. Madeiros previously revealed the Corporation could hire City Rangers to clamp cars. The Rangers would be a new department within the Corporation.
Mr. Madeiros says he does not relish the new measures, but added: "It is all more punitive than I would like, but parking is being abused in the city. Just recently I saw a taxi parked in a handicapped parking space on Church Street.
"If we were in the United States that taxi would have been hauled away. The laws are there, we just need to enforce them."
As part of a wider enforcement, the Attorney General, Senator Perinchief announced a "crackdown" on 8,000 unpaid parking fines. Those with outstanding fines had until June 30 to pay them or face a summons.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Senator said the number of people paying their fines had increased, but that summonses were also being prepared.
She said: "I can confirm that summonses are now being prepared and are being sent out to those who have not paid their fines. When persons appear in court they will be given an opportunity to plead to the offence and the law allows the Magistrate to impose a heavier penalty than the initial $50 fine."
