| Dundee West MP Jim McGovern was speaking after an announcement from the Royal Bank of Scotland today that they plan to site 300 new free-to-use ATMs in disadvantaged areas, 50 of them in Scotland.
Mr McGovern has been working to try to get such an ATM in the Ardler area since being contacted by constituents earlier in the year.
He said, “I have been working with representatives from Dundee City Council over the past four months to ensure a space is left within Ardler Community Centre so an ATM could be sited there. The only problem I have been having is finding a bank to install one.”
Mr McGovern has had meetings with HBOS and Link, as well as sending out a number of letters to different banks asking them to place a free-to-use cash point in the negotiated space.
He continued, “So far I have had little success. Getting a free ATM is a two-stage process. First you have to find a site and then find a bank to provide the service.
“Negotiations with Dundee City Council went very well and I give a lot of credit to them for being so flexible and willing to help. However, finding a bank has been difficult.”
“The RBS proposal is to place 300 free ATMs in poor areas with low cash machine density.
“They will make their decisions based on those criteria and the will in local communities to find suitable sites.”
Mr McGovern is convinced both criteria have already been met, but urges constituents who want a free cash machine to follow his lead.
He added, “I will be writing to RBS expressing my hope that one of these ATMs will be sited in Ardler. I urge anyone who shares my desire to also write to RBS and urge them to place one of their 300 machines in Ardler. Alternatively residents can nominate Ardler Community Centre by logging on to www.rbs.com/freecashmachines ”
n Rival banking group HBOS said it also planned to install 100 new free ATMs in poor and rural areas, including one in Brothock in Arbroath. |
