COMMUTERS are confused by a new parking regime at Oxford Railway Station designed to drive out shoppers.

Rail passengers can still use the old-fashioned pay-and-display system - but it will cost them £20 if they travel before 10am.

Since last week, at the long-stay car park in Becket Street, drivers using the car park have been faced with a brain-teaser before boarding the train.

Instead of using the pay-and-display system, they are encouraged to use a more complex telephone system called RingGo, which requires the use of a mobile phone and debit or credit card.

Zahra Akkerhuys, a spokesman for OxRail Action, which campaigns on behalf of London-bound commuters, said: "The new system is far too complicated and involves reading out your credit card number either on the platform or on the train.

"I saw lots of people wandering around the car park looking very confused and a guy was handing them a leaflet explaining the new system.

"Speed is of the essence when you are a commuter and this system takes far too long.

"Pay-and-display is simple but you are not going to choose that if it costs you £20.

"This was the first time I have driven to Oxford station and I won't be doing it again - I'll cycle or get a cab instead."

Grant Stevenson, 38, from Carterton, who works for British Telecom, added: "It's not nice to have to give out your credit card number on the platform. Pay-and-display was much more convenient."

Until Monday, commuters were able to buy a £4 ticket from the pay-and-display machines.

Now, a pay-and-display ticket before 10am will cost £20, but commuters agreeing to use the new phone system can park all day for £4.50 weekdays and all day on Sunday for £2.50.

Parking pay-and-display between 10am and 1pm will cost £15, between 1pm and 5pm £10, and between 5pm and midnight £5. Pay-and-display parking all day on Sunday costs £5.

The system, operated by the Airport Parking Corporation of America (APCOA) in conjunction with First Great Western, has been introduced to deter non-commuters from parking and taking up spaces needed by commuters.

Until now, the car park in Becket Street has been the best-kept secret of some shoppers who use it to park more cheaply than at the Westgate, where it costs £18.20 to park all day.

Hameed Khan, of APCOA, who has been handing out leaflets explaining the new system, said: "This is a way of removing non-commuters from the car park. I have had to explain the situation to some customers because they have been putting in £4.50 and then they are frustrated when they do not get a ticket."

Robert Jackson, First Great Western's station access manager, said: "We are offering our customers an even greater incentive to enjoy the convenience of parking by phone as they forego fumbling for coins and simply head for the platform and on to their trains."

Graham Smith, the city council's car park manager, said: "We were aware that the long-stay car park was being abused but there was nothing we could do about it."