Times Online: MPs will use a meeting of the Commons Treasury Select Committee this week to question bank chiefs about the rapid growth of fee-charging ATMs. The UK officials fear that growth in commercial money dispensers — which rose by more than 50 percent in 2003 — means that consumers will soon have little choice but to pay if they want to make an ATM withdrawal.
Angela Eagle, a member of the committee and Labour MP for Wallasey, said: “At this rate, there will come a time where there will not be any non-fee-charging cash dispensers left and we will hold the banks accountable for this.”
The fee-charging machines, which are operated by companies such as Moneybox and Cardpoint, have targeted isolated rural areas where banks have withdrawn services.
Norman Lamb, a member of the committee and Liberal Democrat MP for Norfolk North, has called for a code of practice governing the ATM market. Mr Lamb said: “Banks are selling off these machines to commercial providers at a profit and they should take steps to ensure there are clear rules dictating the information disclosed to customers using these machines.”
