Mobile ATM service brings respite to public

At the crowded Central Railway Station, a mobile ATM by Indian Bank drew the attention of passengers, who quickly formed a queue to withdraw cash. The service was started to help the public, who are in dire need to easy accesses to money. Durgasingh Shekhawat, Assistant Manager, Indian Bank said the bank decided to provide this service, after they realised it to be of immense help to the public during the December 2015 floods. 

“The mobile ATM will ply through crowded areas like railway stations, bus terminus, hospitals and business areas like Parry’s Corner, so we could reach out to as many people as possible. Each ATM carries ATM Rs 2 lakh and we ensure that it is loaded five times a day, to have an total amount of Rs 10 lakh. This service helps close to 500 people per day, as the withdrawal limit is Rs 2,000,” said the official. Union Bank of India too has been offering the mobile ATM service, which is limited only to the hospitals in the city. 

“Currently, this mobile ATM is operating outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Stanley Hospital and Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital. We chose to be available near hospitals because people tend to need cash during emergencies. The ATM has a cash limit of around Rs 6.5 lakh, which can accommodate 325 people. We are planning to extend this route to cover a few more hospitals across the city,” said Sundaresan C, Public Relations Officer of the bank. Sugumar K, a 22-year-old civil engineer working for a private company, said he found the service useful. “I’m from Perambur and all the banks in my area had no cash or were too crowded. When I saw the mobile ATM at the railway station, it was a good opportunity for me to withdraw cash,” he said.