The first day of the new system of applications for Bulgaria's new-style biometric identity cards and passports was dogged by long queues, inefficient service and crashing computer systems, Bulgarian National Television said on March 29 2010.

People with expired ID cards or overseas passports, youngsters who had not had an ID before or people who simply wanted to renew their documents flocked to the two police departments in Bourgas to get their new documents issued.

However, they encountered slow-moving queues, computer systems crashing, and police personnel unable to service them.

"Why are we stuck here? Well, because they have only one kiosk working. And then the computer crashed. I have been here since 7.40am, now its 11.40am and I haven't moved at all," Petar Momchev was quoted as saying by BNT.

"It took them three hours to sort the server out. Until now only three people have been processed," Georgi Penev, another person on the line said.

Meanwhile, the police said that the sudden influx of people was because most ID cards and overseas passports with 10-year validity are due to expire this year.

"The programme is stumbling because it is being implemented for the first time. The entire system is centralised. Which means if there is a problem in Sofia, then the system everywhere else shuts down," Tanya Stankova, an official in charge of issuing documents, was quoted as saying by BNT.

According to police, the system will be operating normally in the next few days.

The new biometric ID card will cost 18 leva, while the driving licence fee is 25 leva and a passport will cost 40 leva.

Documents will be issued free of charge for youths aged 14 to 16, while people aged 70 and above will not pay for a driver's licence and will get a 25 per cent discount on the passport application fee.

Parents of children under the age of 14 will pay only 25 per cent of the price of the ordinary service and 50 per cent of the price for the issue of the next passport, the report said.

People aged 58-70 will be charged 60 per cent of the ordinary service for personal documents, 50 per cent for a passport and 44 per cent of the fee for a driving licence.