LONDON (Reuters) — Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS plan to install 400 free-to-use ATMs in some of Britain's poorest areas. The announcements come after a report said many of those areas were becoming free-ATM "deserts." RBS will install 300 machines, saying it wanted to make money more easily available and it would take advice from local MPs, credit unions and community leaders to determine where best to put the machines.
HBOS said it would install 100 machines in areas where currently there are only machines that charge. It said it would work with RBS to ensure maximum coverage in deprived communities.
The announcements follow a report by Citizens Advice which said rural and poorer areas were often short of free cash machines, meaning people would typically have to pay every time they needed to withdraw money.
"If there's a will in local communities to find suitable sites, we have a way to make it happen and ensure those with the greatest need have free access to their cash," said Gordon Pell, chief executive of retail markets at RBS.
HSBC last week said it was working with Citizens Advice and will put free machines in at least 10 percent of locations identified as free ATM deserts, while Nationwide said it plans to install ATMs in phone kiosks.
