Scotland Gains ATMs to Improve Access to Cash
Apr 8, 2022
A town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland is the first to benefit from a new ATM as part of a UK-wide pilot project seeking innovative ways to protect cash access in smaller communities.
Borrowstounness—known as Bo’ness—is situated in the Central Lowlands and has a population of around 15,000. While it serves primarily as a commuter town for Edinburgh, it has many local businesses that stand to benefit from having cash available locally, encouraging people to spend within the town.
The Community Access to Cash Pilots project is an independent initiative supported by major banks, consumer groups and small business associations. It is trialling scalable solutions to keeping cash available and sustainable, and will be used to inform regulators and industry how best to support access.
ATM provider LINK is coordinating the provision of new cash machines and an independent review of the impact they have on local economies. The Bo’ness installation is a landmark in the project, and a step forward for rural communities across Scotland that are known to be poorly served by banking and cash access facilities.
Cash is still vital for millions of people. We’ve been supporting communities across the UK who have had access to cash issues, and I’m delighted to support the community in Bo’ness.