Politicians and residents voiced concerns last night as it emerged that RBS mobile bank vans will be introduced in several north towns and villages with branches subject to a reprieve.
In February, RBS bowed to public pressure and announced a stay of execution for 10 branches – including Castlebay on Barra, Beauly, Kyle, Tongue and Inverary – until the end of the year, pending an independent review to determine their long-term viability.
It followed the launch of The Press and Journal’s Save Our Banks Campaign after RBS initially announced plans to close 62 branches across Scotland.
But the new timetables show that mobile vans will become operational in Castlebay, Beauly, Tongue and Inveraray – despite these branches still being open. The van is already serving Kyle on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The service for Castlebay, which comes into effect on May 14, shows that the mobile branch will visit for three hours on Mondays and Wednesdays and one hour and 30 minutes on Thursdays.
Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil, who lives on Barra, said: “The RBS does not know Scotland and the argument that people are not using the branches is nonsense. These executives don’t care.
“The treasury minister, John Glen, has agreed to visit (in August) but the top brass of the Royal Bank of Scotland are running and hiding. I hope the UK Government takes them to task on this. If Ross McEwan (RBS chief executive) came as well he would be considered more of a man than a mouse.”
In Beauly, the new timetable says that the mobile banking service will be visiting the village for an hour on a Tuesdays and Fridays.
Beauly resident Garry Coutts said that, while he welcomed the reprieve, he was always suspicious it would only be a stay of execution. He said now is the time for “real honesty” from RBS about how they are assessing current usage and whether they have any intention of reconsidering.
Donald Fraser, proprietor of Morisons of Beauly ironmongers in the village, said RBS clearly had “no intentions” of reversing its decision, despite a considerable number of objections. He added: “The catchment area of Beauly is far reaching and if banking services are cut, this will have a detrimental effect on local residents, visitors and businesses – especially the old, disabled and those without access to their own transport or the internet.”
RBS customers in Tongue will get the mobile branch for one hour and 30 minutes on a Tuesday, while the the van will also come into force in Inveraray for an hour on Mondays and Thursdays.
RBS were contacted but did not respond to the concerns raised over these branches threatened with closure.
