Parking fees ‘ridiculous’

Business leaders say that proposals to implement city-wide parking fees and charges for bike parking would be detrimental to retailers in Hamilton. 

The Bermuda Sun this week broke the news that the Corporation of Hamilton is proposing sweeping traffic reforms that would also see an increase in cars being towing and zoned parking fees expanded across the city. 

While parking charges would be city-wide, fees on the whole would be reduced. 

For example the fee for city car parks would be reduced from $7 to $5. Revenue would go towards street improvements including a system put into place to deter people unlawfully parking in residential parking spots. 

President of the Island Restaurant Group and past President of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, Philip Barnett, said  while he understood the Corporation needs to find new sources of revenue, further parking fees are not the way forward. 

He told the Bermuda Sun: “I think it is a very silly thing to do. Obviously with the economy continuing to reel from this never-ending recession/depression — I understand that everyone is looking for alternate sources of revenue but additional parking charges? The town is already dead. 

“I think car parking charges are a necessary evil in any city… but we need to make sure it is always easy for people to stop in quickly to a shop to purchase that necessary item. 

“Bikes make it easier for all of us to travel into town. If there are more bikes on the road there are fewer cars on the road and less rush-hour traffic.”

Geri Rodrigues, owner of House of India in North Hamilton, said her restaurant already suffers from inadequate customer parking. 

“We only have about four parking spots outside our restaurant. They took a lot of our parking away with yellow lines and residential parking so we are very restricted. People just won’t bother.”

Speaking of Hamilton businesses on the whole she added: “I think it will be detrimental — it is the wrong way to go. 

“Businesses are struggling and this will put people off coming to Hamilton. It is more of an aggravation. 

“There is not a lot to encourage people into town as it is. Now they might go out of town to buy or even wait until they go overseas. It is ridiculous”

Rick Olson, owner and manager of the Beach Bistro and co-owner of Red Steakhouse said that the move would not affect his type of business as much as retailers but believed that the move would be bad for the city in general. 

“There is no business in Hamilton so they can do whatever they want. The type of business like mine is not as affected as the retailers but this is certainly not a pro-business move. 

“It doesn’t affect me on a personal level but I am just fed up of the whole system. We (businesses) don’t have a say in it, we don’t have a vote. 

“People are trying to justify their jobs by doing something positive but they end up doing more harm than good.”

Brendan Huttrick, owner of Lemon Tree added: “It is ridiculous. That is going to hurt businesses dramatically. 

“If you have to park out front of the restaurant and pay, say, $2 and then come in and buy a sandwich from me for $10 then why do it? It will affect us directly — everybody that parks outside will have to pay, then come in and pay.

“I’d tell them no — don’t come to town, stay at home. We’ll deliver to you.”