from this summer on as a result of steps taken by the Corporation of Hamilton.

The Corporation plans to make horse diapers mandatory by next April, despite total opposition from carriage owners.

Corporation members were faced with growing horse dropping complaints from the public, which began filtering in as soon as the cruise season got underway.

Buggy drivers try to avoid diapers smell -- made worse by the sun -- and the risks droppings posed to road users, Corporation Secretary Mr. Roger Sherratt said.

"We had more (complaints) than ever last year due to the large number of horse and carriages on the roads,'' he said.

As an interim measure, the corporation yesterday announced a "quick-pick-up programme''.

A shovel and mobile trash cart were officially handed over to Mr. Llewellyn (Dingbat) Simmons, who was hired by carriage owners to clean up after them.

The carriage owners agreed to each pay Mr. Simmons $10 a week out of their own pockets to avoid using the diapers this summer.

"Not one of the drivers was in favour of the diapers, though we do realise there is a problem and that public opinion is against us,'' carriage drivers' representative Mr. Karl Terceira said.

But Mr. Sherratt said it was the Corporation's ultimate intention to introduce laws making it mandatory for all horse and buggy operators to use diapers.

He said the corporation had approached American, Canadian and Caribbean cities offering carriage rides to see how they dealt with the problem.

It turned out that every city had imposed legislation making diapers mandatory, except New Orleans, where drivers voluntarily used diapers.

"After making enquiries with other cities in North America, the Caribbean and Canada, the Corporation has concluded that the best long-term solution is to introduce an ordinance requiring the use of horse diapers, and is planning to do so with effect from April 1, 1994,'' Mr. Sherratt said.

"The Corporation accepts that wearing horse diapers causes considerable problems to the carriage operators, not the least of which is getting the horses used to wearing them, so we have proposed an interim period during which we are asking the carriage operators to try out various types of diapers and gradually get their horses used to wearing them.'' Mr. Sherratt added Mr. Simmons would perform regular pick-ups during the day and evening along the entire route carriage drivers travel.

He rebuffed claims that the Corporation's street sweepers were lazy. They had set routes to clean up and worked hard, he said. They were also not solely responsible for picking up horse droppings.

He added the Corporation recognised carriage drivers were doing their best to solve the problem, therefore, would "certainly review the proposed legislation once we have had an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of the quick-pick-up programme''.

That programme has been in place three weeks and so far no complaints have been lodged.

DIAPER ALTERNATIVE -- Hamilton Mayor the Rt. Wor. Cecil Dismont hands over a shovel and mobile trash can to Mr. Llewellyn (Dingbat) Simmons.