The Royal Bank of Scotland is under fire as it emerged it is reducing the hours at the next closest bank to closure-struck Barra.
Ironically, the hours of Lochboisdale RBS are being reduced to provide a mobile bank to serve Barra.
The RBS branch at Castlebay on Barra is to be closed – with the nearest bank a 27-mile journey.
Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil said: “This is an ill-conceived plan. First they said Castlebay customers could go to Lochboisdale (on South Uist) but it turns out now that this will be closed half the time and searching for a bank van across the countryside is not realistic at all.
“Servicing Barra from South Uist is not sensible and will be subject to weather conditions, availability of ferries and of course will be placing an increasing burden on the remaining staff.
“RBS say that they will be informing customers – why not consult with customers who are also taxpayers and therefore shareholders in this largely government-owned bank? This is not good enough and again I am calling on the government to intervene. Collectively, we own RBS. Above all else, RBS was saved to provide banking services to our communities.”
Meanwhile an online petition to get RBS to reconsider closing the branch has topped 9,800 signatures – more than nine times the isle’s population.
An RBS spokesman said: “We will be making some adjustments to the Lochboisdale branch opening hours in May next year. This is being done in order to offer a more proactive service to customers who live across North Uist, South Uist, Benbecula and Barra – so that we can serve them in their local communities, rather than only in the branch.
“The current Lochboisdale branch is open four days a week, between 10am and 4pm. From May 2018, we intend to alter the timetable, deploying staff in both the branch and on mobile branch routes across the four islands.”