Traders in Parchment Street, Winchester, are calling for the city council to end a traffic flow order, which they say is bad for business.

Shopkeepers say that since the authority changed the flow of the one-way system early in November, giving vehicle access from St George's Street to North Walls, trade has suffered and the change has lead to more congestion in the lower part of the town.

Several have joined forces and launched petitions, with hundreds of signatures from shoppers and residents calling for the 18-month experimental order to be reversed immediately.

Jayne Chapman, from the Pottery Caf, said: "It has changed business dramatically. All my customers have gone overnight. People used to see us and we knew them, but now we're out of sightout of mind."

Miss Chapman, added that, on Saturday, she had no bookings to use the caf, which provides sessions in decorating ceramics.

She pointed out that having to go around the one-way system to find a space at St Peter's car park in Gordon Road now added 20 minutes to her journey to work and even residents of Parchment Street found it took longer to return and park near their homes.

Lawson Bell, of Bell Fine Art, said he had also suffered a drastic drop in trade. He estimated a 50% reduction in custom compared to last Christmas. "People drive past and notice you, but they aren't necessarily going to walk down here."

He added that the change had affected delivery drivers and binmen, who had found it now took longer to reach the street. "It's not just affecting people living in the streetit's broader than that.

"Any traffic coming from the Hyde direction, which wants to go across town must now go on the one-way system and adds to congestion," he said.

Transport chiefs voted to change the flow in March, prompted by complaints from residents that the road was used as a rat-run by over 3,000 drivers a day, causing noise and pollution.

But Mr Bell said the road was not a rat-runsimply a way of getting across the cityand questioned why the residents had enjoyed such an influence.

A city council spokesman said he was sorry to hear that businesses were suffering, but added: "The residents of Parchment Street have put up with rat-running traffic from the one-way town centre ring road for far too long.

"Up to 4,000 cars a day were cutting through a very narrow residential street. We have acted and transformed it, making it pedestrian-friendly by banning traffic from turning into the road from North Walls.

"This is an experiment and if it does not work, or if traders or others feel it is not working, they need to let us know. We want people to hear their views. The experimental order is for up to 18 months. It will be reviewed within the first 12.

"It has only been in place a short period and needs more time before we can assess its long term effects. We are confident that the changes are in the interests of the maximum number of people and only introduced after a long period of public consultation."