CALLS for shared banking hubs to keep branches in the High Street and fix a "growing crisis" have been made by Scotland's leading charity for older people.
It comes after TSB said it was to close four Scottish branches while cutting hours at around 70 branches in Scotland later this year. Some are being cut from a five-day operation to just two.
Two branches in Edinburgh, one in Aberdeen and one in the town of Keith in Moray will shut in July this year.
Age Scotland has called on banks to invest in shared bank hubs to allow people better access to money.
Access to branches is required by banks such as the TSB if online security fails.
Last month NatWest, Lloyds Bank and Barclays announced that they will pilot the UK's first shared banking hubs - for business customers.
Keith TSB, one of the branches to be shut
Consumer groups have called for regulator who will protect access to cash as Scots consumers face the double blow of ATMs and banks closing at an "alarming" rate.
Figures show that the UK has seen cashpoints disappear at a rate of 488 per month between June and December last year - with over 250 free-to-use machines also closing monthly.
READ MORE: TSB says cutting hours will prevent more branch closures
Meanwhile, 290 cashpoints have closed in Scotland in 2018, the majority of which were free-to-use machines (204).
Scotland has seen 399 bank branches close since 2015, making it one of the worst affected areas in the UK.
Age Scotland said that the "bank desert crisis" has been growing since 2010 making it harder for older people to access their cash.
It wants to see innovative methods to deal with the increasing bank closures affecting communities and older people across the country.
Brian Sloan, Age Scotland’s chief executive said: “We understand that there are financial reasons for closing some branches but urge TSB to look at shared banking hub options especially in rural areas and suburbs to engage with their older clients rather than isolate them.
"This method is currently piloted in Birmingham with a shared business bank hub for NatWest, Lloyds Bank and Barclays after the banks listened to their business customers’ needs so it shows that its possible if the will is there.
“This option should be available to all of Scotland’s personal finance customers but it would particularly benefit older people who due to mobility restrictions, dementia, hearing or visual impairments prefer the personal face-to-face approach to their banking needs.”
He said older people prefer having a face-to-face conversation about their finances with a real person and for half a million people in Scotland over the age of 60 who do not have access to the internet, digital solutions are not a feasible option.
“As older people are more likely to be targeted by scams, they’re less likely to go online or use the phone for banking. They shouldn’t be discriminated for a choice that protects their safety," he said.
MSP David Stewart called for the UK Government to take action to stem the flow of bank closures and the pattern of reduced banking hours following the TSB announcement.
Mr Stewart, who represents the Highlands and Islands, which includes Moray, has been told that TSB is to close its Keith branch because “it is no longer financially viable due to lower footfall”.
Carol Anderson, TSB's Scotland branch distribution director, said after the announcement:"Customers are changing the way they interact with us and over the past few years we have seen the usage of branches continue to fall, with many customers in these locations increasingly using alternative TSB branches, online, mobile or telephone banking to access TSB banking services.
"These changes in usage mean we are reducing the opening hours of a further 72 branches to keep them commercially viable."
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