Shuttle shopping

Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

Finding a parking space can be a hassle, especially during the Yuletide season. And for many it's annoying and frustrating when parking woes come between them and their destinations, the shops. Rock Investments, the management company for the Mall and Village Plazas - two major shopping centres on Constant Spring Road, Kingston - has put a shuttle service in place to transport shoppers from a designated parking lot to these two malls.

"We want shoppers to have a hassle-free experience, because as you know parking in the Mall and Village, especially at Christmas time, tends to be chaotic," said Cherane Hamilton, accounts and administrative manager at Rock Investments. The service - which is free to shoppers - has been available for more than six years.

Hamilton said it was introduced for store owners and their employees.

"We try to get the tenants and their employees to park there first and free up the parking space near the stores for customers," she said. The service has since been extended to shoppers.

Individuals park at 20 South Avenue and are shuttled, either by car or bus, to a drop-off spot in the Mall. This secured lot has about 40 spaces and each motorist is given a parking ticket when leaving the lot.

Hamilton said the frequency with which the shuttle vehicles depart and the number of vehicles used depend on the need.

"We try to have the service working as smoothly as possible, with departure every 15 minutes," she said.

"We gauge how many people utilise the parking lot. Usually on Christmas Eve, or a couple of days before Christmas Eve, we have like two cars and a bus available to customers," she explained.

The shuttle service starts from 7 a.m. to facilitate store workers.

"The service continues until the last car leaves the special parking lot. We do have security guards there," she said.

Store owners said those customers who know about the service take advantage of it.

"I don't think they're fully utilising the facility at this time, but come the weekend, they will... definitely," said Debbie Issa, manager of Changes, a female clothing store in The Mall.

"I find that as we get closer to Christmas ... Christmas Eve and perhaps the Saturday before Christmas ... they will use the special parking space," Hamilton said. She noted that the service is usually available up to Christmas Eve, but if the demand continues, the company might extend the service beyond that time.

Issa said she does not believe that if the additional convenience were not offered it would have prevented customers from shopping at the Mall and Village Plazas.

Geneva Whorms, owner of Urban Beauty, a make-up store in the Village, said it takes some convincing to get customers open to the idea of parking away from the shopping centres and being shuttled there.

"Some of them are against it at first mention, because people just don't like to park far away," Whorms said. But she finds that those who eventually decide to use the parking facilities, find it convenient.

"In fact, they find that it's much better than driving around in search of a parking space in the malls," Whorms said.