Fresh concerns have emerged about the Royal Bank of Scotland cutting mobile bank visits in Moray.
This month, the firm pledged to retain two visits of the van to Dufftown following an outcry from residents there.
Now it has emerged the bank, which remains predominantly owned by tax payers, will half its weekly visits to Lossiemouth next month.
The move would mean that RBS customers will only have access to services in the town for less than two hours a week.
Meanwhile, the firm has refused to reinstall the ATM that was removed – despite the new owner of their former Pitgaveney Street premises being willing to have it there.
Yesterday, Heldon and Laich councillor James Allan revealed representatives from the bank had told him customers should “take the bus” to Elgin if they wanted to do their banking when the van was not there.
He said: “This is the time of the year that Lossiemouth will start to get really busy with visitors. It’s frustrating when we see investment in the town from the RAF and the council with the new secondary school to see it met with people pulling out.
“The queue for the mobile bank is down the street at the moment. I dread to think what it’ll be like when it comes just once a week.
“That bank machine was one of the most well used in the town. It was in the perfect place by the harbour. All the wiring is still there so it’s strange they won’t even put it back.”
RBS shut its premises in Lossiemouth in 2015, leaving the town with only a Bank of Scotland.
Yesterday, Stewart Lyon Financial Services, who now own the former Pitgaveney Street bank, confirmed talks had taken place with the firm about reinstalling the ATM – but these had broken down due to concerns about how it would be financed.
Denise Bedson, chairwoman of Lossiemouth Business Association, said: “We were involved when the bank closed and are concerned about them reducing the amount of mobile bank visits.
“I think it needs to be there as often as possible. Whenever I see it it’s very well used so I can’t see the logic in cutting it back.”
A spokesman for RBS said: “We have reviewed the schedules of our mobile branches and added more stops; many of these new stops will cover areas where, unfortunately, an existing branch will be closing, but also some communities where we haven’t had a branch before.
“This does also mean that in some communities we may have to spend less time, but we welcome feedback on how these services are running, and have already committed to reviewing these timetables on a monthly basis.”
