NEWLY-installed on-shore ticketing machines for the Windermere ferry continue to frustrate users - but changes could be on the way.

Customers claim to have encountered difficulties when attempting to pay for ferry tickets by card, with the machines having a £5 minimum spend limit yet offering no change for the £4.40 ferry fare.

They also say the number of machines available, coupled with their inefficiency, has also led to queues and delays, meaning people are opting to drive around the lake on their way to work rather than using the ferry.

Tim Hardy, who runs The Fitzwilliam Gallery in Hawkshead, said: "These changes were supposed to increase the efficiency of the ferry. The council (Cumbria County Council) has completely shot itself in the foot.

"Many of the people who use it are visitors using it as a one off experience. This means that they will not get used to it. People will just not use the system.

"The people who made the decisions about the new system are in denial. They need to hold their hands up and and say: 'Sorry, we made a mess of this.'

"They should absolutely revert back to the old system. There is no better way than paying while you are travelling. It's as simple as it comes. If the council don't want staff handling cash then they should at least put the machines on the ferry."

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Cumbria County Council has confirmed that it will be making changes to the system in order to try and rectify some of the issues with inefficiency and the shortage of machines.

These changes include updates to the software used in order to speed up the process of buying tickets. However the machines will still not give any change.

The machines will accept all types of card, with the fastest method being to use contactless payment with card.

The council is also looking into increasing the number of machines available, and is assessing other on-shore locations where more machines could be installed.

These updates and changes are taking place at the moment and are expected to take six to eight weeks.