Finding parking can be a hassle, especially during the Yuletide season.

And for many, it is annoying when parking woes come between them and their destination - the shops.

Rock Investments, management company for the Mall and Village plazas - two of the major shopping centres on Constant Spring Road, St Andrew - has arrived at an innovative solution. It put a shuttle service in place to transport shoppers from a designated parking lot to the malls.

"We wanted the shoppers to have a no-hassle shopping experience because you know parking in the Mall and Village, especially at Christmastime, tends to be very chaotic," said Cherane Hamilton, accounts and administrative manager at Rock Investments. The service, which is free to shoppers, has been offered for over six years.

started with staff

Hamilton said it started for the store owners and their employees.

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

Shoppers are encouraged to park at 20 South Avenue and are then shuttled, either by car or bus, to the drop-off spot in the mall and back. This secured lot has approximately 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 depends on the need.

"We try to have it working as smoothly as possible. We try to have it every 15 minutes," she said.

"We gauge how many people utilise the parking. Normally, Christmas Eve or couple of days before Christmas Eve, we normally have like two cars and a bus," she explained.

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

"It goes until the last car leaves basically, and we do have security guards that are there," she said.

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

"I don't think they're utilising it now but on the weekend definitely," said Debbie Issa, manager of Changes, a female clothing store in the Mall.

Hamilton said this is the trend for most shoppers.

"I find that going closer to Christmas, Christmas Eve and perhaps the Saturday before Christmas, they do utilise it," Hamilton said.

Issa, however, said she does not believe that if the convenience were not offered it would prevent customers from coming to the stores.

takes convincing

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.

"Some of them are against it at first because people just don't like to park far," Whorms said. For those she has succeeded in convincing, they now find it convenient.

"They find that it's much better than driving around forever," Whorms said.

Hamilton said the service is usually available up to Christmas Eve.

"Sometimes, we stop it at Christmas Eve but if we see that the plaza is still full after Christmas, we might extend it," she said.