Horse and buggy drivers showed their contempt for a new city diaper law yesterday by not showing up for work.

Just three carriage drivers were operating in Hamilton during the day. During the night, only two carriages were seen riding through city streets. And none were standing under the canopy, where a couple off the cruise liner Horizon said they had been waiting several minutes for a ride.

Only one of the night-time carriage drivers was using the mandatory diaper bags to catch horse droppings.

But the three drivers who were out in the day had all attached the diapers -- some made out of trash bags and string -- to their horses rear ends.

They said they could not afford the $300 fine they had been threatened with.

However, drivers warned a serious accident was bound to happen as a result of a diaper blowing against a horse's back legs.

Driver Mr. Terry Lambe complained he had already had a near accident as a result of the bag knocking his horse's back legs. He was on Front Street carrying two passengers when his horse attempted to bolt.

"It's lucky he was a good driver and was able to control the horse,'' witness Mr. Richard DeShields said. "But one day there's going to be a major accident.'' Mr. DeShields was at the canopy trying to sell carriage drivers vinyl diaper bags which he makes.

But he did not support the law, he said. He was simply selling the bags to those drivers who had horses "quiet'' enough to take them.

Stable owner Mr. Norman Terceira, complaining bitterly about the diapers and their untidy appearance, said the main reason only three of Bermuda's 30 carriage drivers came out yesterday was because they were afraid to try the bags on their horses.

He was using diapers made of a piece of cloth and string on two of his horses.

The Corporation of Hamilton's controversial diaper law became mandatory on Sunday.

Drivers threatened to defy it last month and made a last minute unsuccessful proposal to pay someone fulltime to clean up after them.

Corporation Secretary Mr. Roger Sherratt said yesterday city officials were "disappointed'' with carriage drivers' slow reaction to word of the new law.

The Corporation had had numerous calls from carriage drivers yesterday "looking around last minute for diapers'', he said.

"They were advised in January that the ordinance would come into effect,'' he pointed out.

None of the drivers had not told him they planned to boycott Hamilton as a result of the law, he said. And the Corporation hoped they would not take that position.

"The Corporation wants to see horse and carriages in Hamilton. The Mayor (the Rt. Wor. William Boyle) accepts they are part and parcel of the Hamilton scene. But we also want them to wear the devices to collect the droppings like cities in North America, Canada and Europe.'' One of the drivers out yesterday was using one of Mr. DeShields' vinyl bags.

The other two made their own bags using cloth and trash bags secured with string.

At one stage, a war of words broke out between Mr. DeShields and carriage operator Mr. Winfield Tucker, who said, "He's not making a fortune off of me.'' An angry Mr. Tucker said he would sooner use a household trash bag tied onto his horse and the carriage frame with string.

But he said, "This is no good for the horse. You never know what's going to happen.'' Mr. Terceira remarked that devices were not 100 percent effective. "They do not catch everything,'' he said. "And if the horse's tail gets in it (urine or droppings in the bag) it's going to swish the stuff everywhere.'' Driver Mr. Troy Williams, who was hanging out under the canopy with some other drivers who opted not to come out, said: "We get a $300 fine if we don't wear the diapers -- I just about make that in my weekly wage, so I can't afford to come out.'' Mr. Williams accused the Corporation of not giving drivers enough time to train their horses to wear the diapers.

"They just put the pressure on last month,'' he said. "That's not enough time to get things together,'' he said. "We were busy fighting it.''