Yesterday, I had a very useful and productive meeting with a City Council Financial Inclusion Development Officer regarding the issue of ATMs that charge the customer for cash withdrawals from the machine. My concern in raising this - and a map provided by the City Council of ATMs across Dundee confirms this - is that many of the machines that charge are in community regeneration areas, where the greatest concentration of people on the lowest incomes live.
The banks will argue that their providing free-to-use cash machines at these locations is away from where their volume usage is, but there is a need to ensure that all communities have easy access to free-to-use machines, and as the British public now own most of some of the leading banks, the banks should be putting more effort into filling in the gaps in free-to-use cash machine provision, for the benefit of all, particularly those citizens on limited income.
Following my meeting yesterday, I have written to a major national retailer about an ATM at one of their stores in the West End Ward to see if the company nationally is willing to consider contributing to the costs of this particular ATM so it can offer free cash withdrawals in the future.
Later yesterday, I had a useful meeting with City Council transportation officers about the forthcoming consultation on residents' parking in part of the West End to discuss the timetable and different and innovative ways of consulting with local residents on parking issues. I also had the opportunity to take part in a site visit with a constituent and a housing association representative about a path repair.