retailers have claimed.

Calling on the Corporation of Hamilton to take action, they said this week frustrated shoppers were bypassing their stores because they could not find parking spaces.

Hamilton workers were taking up all the spots, leaving those coming in to shop forced to park miles away or drive around until they found a space.

People were not "impulse shopping'' anymore. And the elderly in particular were suffering.

One retailer believed even bike riders were having trouble finding parking spots.

Lack of parking in the city was the "biggest problem facing retailers'', Front Street merchant Mr. Eldon Trimingham said.

But the Corporation, which owns the city's parking lots, said it has taken all the steps it could to ease the problem, such as putting two-hour time limits on certain parts its parking lots.

And though a multi-storey carpark planned for Bulls Head was the corporation's "number-one priority'', it was still at least a year away from being built.

"We realise parking is a major problem in Hamilton and we are very keen to reduce the problem. But there is no magic answer,'' Corporation secretary Mr.

Roger Sherratt said.

He added the biggest problem in Hamilton was "shufflers'', city workers who park in one-hour spots and keep moving them to avoid parking tickets.

Mr. Sherratt said financing of the parking lot, which will cost several million dollars, was "not a problem''.

He said in-principle approval was given to the plan several months ago. The Corporation was currently working on ironing out technical and aesthetic details in order to gain final approval from the Development Applications Board. It would be located between Dundonald Street and Canal Road, but ground would not be broken before next year.

"The sooner we get additional and convenient parking the better,'' managing director of Gibbon's Company Mr. Grant Gibbons said.

He said developers should be encouraged to build parking lots below their buildings for employees.

More parking was "needed to ensure survival of a healthy retail industry'', Mr. Trimingham said.

"Once the parking lots fill up with workers, there is very little space left over for people who want to come in and shop. They want to come in and buy but have to walk miles so they end up putting it off for another day. The situation really slows down impulse shopping.'' Mr. Peter Cooper of A.S. Cooper's said feedback from customers was they were put off from coming to town because they were unable to find parking spots.

The Bulls Head three-storey parking would help, but it would not be enough, he said, suggesting more two-hour-only limits be placed on city parking lots.

Mr. Roger Davidson of H.A.& E. Smith said the parking situation was a "definite negative for the merchant community''.

"Younger people don't mind the walk but for the older people, particularly in the summer it is a problem -- they don't want to come to town at all,'' he said.

Staff were also reluctant to work at staggered times, such coming in at noon, because they would have a hard time finding a parking spot.

Pirates Port owner Mrs. Susan Gilbert noted that since the cost of parking at the Par-La-Ville lot behind her store had been upped to fifty cents an hour, there seemed to be more empty spaces during the day.

Twenty-Seventh Century Boutique manager Mr. Frank Greaves said, "Even bikes are having a hard time now to find parking places.'' Mr. Greaves was critical of the Corporation, saying it was unfair to close off only certain sections of Front and Reid Streets during late shopping nights.

"They shouldn't try and make it convenient for only one set of retailers,'' he said. "They should could consider everyone.'' Mr. Greaves was sure the situation was hurting his business. But he did not know what could be done to solve the problem.

"There is too much traffic in Bermuda period,'' he said. "Leaving the cars outside Hamilton and bussing the people in is the only thing I can see.'' Pearman Watlington marketing vice president Mrs. Joan Hug said lack of parking was one of the reasons the store moved all its departments to Pitt's Bay Road.

An "absolute improvement'' in business had been noted, she said, with customers enjoying all-day free parking right outside the store.

Mr. Sherratt said no other multi-storey parking lots were planned at the moment, though the Cavendish Road carpark may be looked at in the future.

You could not put any more parking lots in the city centre, he said, because that would cause massive traffic congestion during peak hours.