RBS faces renewed anger over further cuts to rural services

Some customers will only get a 20-minute window each week at mobile branches

RBS bosses are under fire again after revealing severe cuts to rural mobile banking services across Tayside and Fife.

The swingeing cuts will leave some customers with just 20 minutes’ banking time a week.

Age Scotland urged banks to consider creative alternatives to closures and cutbacks to the mobile service, such as shared branches.

The charity said older people will be hardest hit, as they are less likely to use online and telephone banking.

Chief executive Brian Sloan said: “Giving customers as little as half an hour once a week to do all their banking is simply not good enough.”

In January, bank boss Les Matheson told a Holyrood committee RBS would be increasing the amount of vans it operated as mobile banking was presented as a viable alternative.

Politicians from across the divide have called for reassurance.

Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Liz Smith said: “Stopping in a town for 15 or 20 minutes might be good enough for an ice cream van or a fishmonger, but not for those wanting to access banking services.”

Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Alex Rowley, said: “The way they are treating customers is appalling – they should be utterly ashamed of themselves, but they are not.”

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP Lesley Laird said: “It is extremely disappointing to see the service times cut in Kelty, Dalgety Bay and Cowdenbeath with little regard to the customers who rely on this face-to-face service.”

Cowdenbeath SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing added: “When RBS swung the axe on so many of their branches throughout the country, they gave assurances that those communities affected would continue to be served by their mobile branches.

“What they did not say was that they would simply be spreading their existing service still thinner.”

Angus South SNP MSP Graeme Dey MSP criticised the lack of consultation, stating: “When RBS took the decision to shut the branch in Carnoustie, I held extensive discussions with them about the introduction of the mobile banking service on a twice weekly basis to mitigate the impact.

“I am therefore disappointed to see they have decided to substantially reduce the time the van will be in Carnoustie on a Tuesday.”

North East Fife MP Stephen Gethins said: “The mobile service was never going to replace a fully functioning bank branch, but it was better than no service at all, especially for elderly people and those without public transport.”

Perthshire South and Kinross-shire SNP MSP Roseanna Cunningham said: “The most puzzling change is the decision to introduce a stop in Comrie just five minutes walk away from an existing branch which was given a reprieve following the recent closures announcement.

“That decision will surely corrupt any value of any usage data gathered to determine whether that reprieve can be extended beyond the end of the year and utterly undermines any sense that RBS have not already made their mind up about the future of the Comrie branch.”

Colin Borland, head of devolved nations for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “RBS made the argument that the impact of Scottish branch closures would be mitigated by smartatmsandmobilevanbankservices.

“Today’s report warns that, because more branches are closing, their mobile van services will be spread even more thinly.”

An RBS spokesman said: “These mobile branch routes can be a lifeline for communities that have never had access to a bank; some are taking on new stops where, unfortunately, an existing branch will be closing.

“We welcome feedback on how these services are running, and have already committed to reviewing these timetables on a monthly basis.”

jabuchan@thecourier.co.uk

MSP Liz Smith and MP Luke Graham with concerned locals outside the RBS branch in Comrie.