Pay and display meters have appeared in a former Hamilton supermarket in a bid to stop motorists abandoning their cars outside of designated bays.



An interim agreement between Countdown and Wilson Parking came into force last week at the former Bryce St supermarket car park introducing a $1 per hour pay and display system.



It forbids obstructing other people or vehicles.

Student Ricky Williams hoped new management would stop congestion.

''It got ridiculous, there were cars all over,'' he said. ''I didn't know who to complain to. I would have.

''For example, they park normally two or three cars in the entrance, and leave space for one car to go through.''



While the Waikato Times was speaking to Mr Williams, he pointed out a ''prime example'' of his complaints: a vehicle parked longways behind several cars, blocking them in.



The driver of the car, Tania Te Puke, said she often parked that way when popping in to pay off her layby, but left a friend who could move the car if necessary. It was about time someone started managing the carpark, she said.



''When people drive in, they just park right there.''



She had also been frustrated with clogged entrances and exits, and waited almost an hour to get out of the car park last Saturday.



But she was less keen on handing over a dollar.



And car park users Des and Lois Cosgrove said the creatively-parked cars simply showed a need for more spaces in central Hamilton.



''They all had to park somewhere else [before],'' said Mrs Cosgrove.



Colliers International director Mark Brunton was involved in arranging the interim parking agreement, and said the car park was previously a ''shambles... with people parking on top of each other''.



Several companies had been keen to manage the carpark, and Mr Brunton thought Countdown decided to generate income from it while looking for a permanent solution.



He expected Wilson Parking to be running the site at least for the rest of this year.



And reports of people already put off by the new tariff amused him.



''Where else do they think they're going to go and how much gas are they going to spend getting there?''