RBS closure goes against guidelines
With reference to the closing of the Burnside branch of RBS, I would like to make the following points relating to the access to banking protocol information sent to me recently as explanation for the closure.
Access to banking: from my house to Burnside is 0.8 miles and from my house to Rutherglen it is 1.9 miles. As a disabled, blue card holder I am able to park most places but unfortunately other bank users do not have that privilege.
Pre-closure assessment: a lot of elderly people (including myself ) believe that a truthful, internal analysis of local people’s needs was definitely not taken into consideration.
Community engagement and impact assessment: shareholders and taxpayers were never consulted on this closure. The impact on the community is devastating. Issues that were not considered include people having business and personal accounts who have no desire to do their banking online due to fraud alerts and who have no trust in the bank’s security measures. Also the frail and lower-income families will find it difficult to reach an alternative branch.
Publication of impact assessment: the results were not made public beforehand.
Ensuring continued provision of alternative ways to bank: no consideration has been given to this at all. The only real option here is to change banks to the Bank of Scotland. The Post Office is no alternative at all as they will be unable to cope with the queues this disruption will cause. Online is not available for all bank users and a lot of people prefer to have their banking needs dealt with on a more personal level. That means speaking directly to someone for help and guidance. The other branches mentioned before are still too far.
Communication arrangements: I can confirm that no one from the local area was aware beforehand of this closure and was quite shocked when they eventually did find out through local chit-chat and not communication from the bank.
I find it bizarre that this extremely busy branch had to be closed at all and the alternatives expressed by the powers that be bear no relation to common sense.
As part of the 73 per cent of the taxpayers who own the bank thanks to Mr Goodwin, I consider my human rights have been totally ignored.
I can assume that Mark Hamilton (Glasgow CEO for RBS) was responsible for the decision to close, making it more awkward for business and private services.
I have been a loyal customer of this branch for 47 years and I see now that means nothing.
Alex Robertson, Coldstream Drive, Rutherglen