Wollongong retailers were mostly upbeat yesterday on the first day of Wollongong City Council's pro-rata parking fees despite an abundance of empty spaces in almost every city street.Almost six months after the controversial arrival of parking meters, and after vocal lobbying by business owners and shoppers opposed to the $2 flat fee, yesterday signalled the beginning of a new era for parking in the city centre. Motorists can now pay only for the time they intend to use, with parking being charged at $1 an hour (50c for half an hour) in spaces up to two hours, and 75c an hour in three-hour and four-hour zones.The machines will accept as little as 10c for six minutes of parking, and the maximum payment will be $3, which would buy four hours in a four-hour parking zone.The council is also investigating a 10-hour parking zone for the fringe of the CBD, and four meters on Church St have been removed between Ellen and Bank streets.Most retailers were yesterday prepared to give it time and were confident it would signal a turnaround from the retail slowdown they have experienced since the introduction of meters on March 22.Gala Trophies owner Gareth Leyshon, who has been one of the most vocal parking meter critics, said he was really happy with the changes and the creation of two free 15-minute spaces outside his shop."It might take a little while, but I am positive it is going to work."Bar Pellegrini co-owner David Saveski was optimistic the changes would "filter through"."There are definitely more cars today than there have been," he said.But on Crown St, Flaminio Fina from Pasta Fina and Noel Perry of Downtown Newsagency, were less enthusiastic."While it is better, it won't recoup the losses we have had over the past couple of months," Mr Perry said.Council's property and recreation manager Peter Coyte said council staff had worked all weekend and resumed quality control checks of meters and signs at 6.30am yesterday."We picked up a few inconsistencies, and these were fixed," he said.