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Albuquerque's new high-tech parking kiosks are leaving some Downtown drivers longing for the good old days.

Gary Scott, an Albuquerque resident, said he's struggled with the kiosks - designed to take credit cards, bills or coins - since they were installed Downtown last summer.

"I've had problems using dollars and coins. Sometimes the machine doesn't take them," he said.

The kiosks are arrayed along Central Avenue from First to Seventh streets. They cost $10,000 each and are spread out, each replacing six to eight of the old silver, single-head meters.

Brian Morris, executive director for the Downtown Action Team, said he received about a dozen complaints from people about the credit-card readers earlier this year.

"Most people, when the credit card didn't work, they went to a business and asked for change," he said.

And that pretty much defeats the purpose of the kiosks, said Mark Motsko, spokesman for the Department of Municipal Development.

So, the city is working on a fix.

The problem? Stickers on the kiosks that tell users to insert their cards and remove them quickly.

"What they need to do is leave it and wait till the screen says something akin to `Your card is being read,' " Motsko said.

The solution? New stickers, expected later this month.

That doesn't solve Scott's other problem with the meters. He is handicapped and said the single kiosk per block isn't easily accessible.

"I have to park at the end of the block and come all the way back," he said.

After the money or card has been inserted, the kiosk spits out a receipt the driver must put on their dashboard.

The city plans to put up more kiosks within the next three years. So far, 38 have been installed in Downtown, Nob Hill and Old Town.

Motsko said any confusion isn't slowing down use of the new kiosks.

The kiosks bring in $246 per month, or $30 to $40 per parking space, Motsko said.

The old meters brought in $57.58 per month.

Motsko said the kiosks weren't designed to frustrate commuters.

"We don't want people to struggle with the new technology, and we want it to be as customer-friendly as we can," he said. "The kiosks are supposed to be a help rather than a hindrance."