Traffic queues built up in Winchester on Monday as motorists waited in line outside car parks to use new payment systems.

Drivers are having difficulty adjusting to the new pay on foot system introduced to Chesil Street and Tower Street car parks.

They are complaining that the system causes congestion because technical glitches with the season ticket swipe cards hold up the traffic at the barriers.

People have also found the barrier machines at the Sussex Street entrance are at an awkward angle so shorter drivers or people in low cars have difficulty reaching them.

But Winchester City Council is confident that as people become familiar with the system, the problems will die down.

Elaine Cole, a Tower Street car park season ticket holder, had trouble returning to the car park.

She said: "There were no problems when I used the card on Monday morning but I left Tower Street to go out on a job. When I returned the card would not let me back in. I had to get an attendant to open the barrier for me."

Basil Davies, parking manager for Winchester City Council said: "We did expect the teething trouble that has been experienced as people were getting used to the new system and next week we will see a vast improvement. My office has sent out 1,100 season tickets with letters explaining how the system works, which is no small task. "

Parking attendants will be on site all day and the intercom system will be manned 24 hours a day for 365 days a year.

If there is a technical fault with a card, assistants can open the barriers from their office and if necessary a technician can be out to remove the barrier within 30 minutes.

Mr Davies added: "The barrier takes between seven - 10 seconds to lift up. Swipe cardholders do not need to press the button when they put their card in the machine. At the present time I am more than satisfied with the way Pay on Foot is working."

Mr Davies said that if people were experiencing genuine technical difficulties with their card, they should call the parking department.

The car parks were converted from Pay and Display to Pay on Foot at a cost of £450,000, which means that customers pay for the time they use rather than having to anticipate payment in advance.

A swipe card was issued to all season ticket holders who had a valid paper ticket on March 31.

When their pass expires, the customer will have to chose between a swipe card for one of the Pay on Foot car parks or a season ticket for the remainder of the Pay and Display car parks.

* The number for Winchester City Council's parking department is 01962 848346.