Construction work to introduce a ticketed barrier system into the City Hall car park will begin next Monday.

This project, which has been undertaken owing to low payment by users and abuse of parking durations, is expected to be completed at the end of June.

“This will be a more efficient way for customers to pay for their parking and for the city to ensure compliance and payment by users,” Mayor Charles Gosling said. “Car park revenue is a significant source of income for the city and we are very careful to protect that. The barrier pay system will pay for itself in less than two years and protects the city’s revenue over the longer term.”

All hourly rates for use of the car park will remain unchanged. However, customers who overstay the three-hour time limit will be charged an immediate penalty. After three hours, a $10 penalty fee will be applied to the total amount due and after four hours, a $65 penalty will be additionally applied. This will total the same as a $75 parking ticket. However, the difference is it must be paid before exiting the car park.

City of Hamilton senior engineer Ian Hind said the improvement project would be managed in phases to minimise disruption to drivers during which time the car park will mostly remain open. There will be partial closure during certain phases. Mr Hind added: “We are confident that the finished result will be a dramatic improvement over the existing layout with the additional benefit of an enhanced appearance and improved safety of the area.”

Once completed, motorists will access City Hall car park from a double-entry point on Dismont Drive, and exit onto either Victoria Street or Wesley Street.

The car park will be widened slightly by reducing the width of Dismont Drive to accommodate 197 car bays. Bike parking will remain on both sides of Dismont Drive and around the perimeter of the car park.

The project will also involve the nine trees currently inside the car park being relocated to the periphery and an additional eight trees planted within the sidewalk

Lighting of the car park will be improved by the addition of two new lighting columns within the car park and the addition of 12 new traditional design light columns fitted with LED light heads around the car park.

Furthermore, three CCTV cameras will monitor the entry, exits and car park itself.

From Monday, the east side of the car park, along Dismont Drive, will be closed and a temporary entrance will be available on Victoria Street, in addition to the existing entrances on Victoria and Wesley Streets.

Phase two will involve blocking off parking bays on the north side of the car park, along Victoria Street, while everything else remains open. Phase three will see work conducted on Wesley Street.