Thousands of ATMs have disappeared across the UK. According to the consumer protection group Which?, around 8,000 cash machines have been removed in the past 18 months. There is no mystery, however, but the mere pragmatism of local banks. During the pandemic, UK banks have considerably reduced the number of ATMs. Thus, around 13% of the total number of ATMs were put out of action during the first lockdown, with none of them being replaced. The survey showed that transactions through cash machines fell by 37% in times of coronavirus restrictions. People started to shop online more and make payments by card so as not to touch cash. “The harsh numbers show the extent of the damage done by the pandemic to an already fragile cash payment system, and also illustrate the difficulties consumers face when withdrawing cash,” head of finance at Which? Gareth Shaw said. A UK Treasury spokesman noted that “government agencies have committed themselves to legislative action to protect access to cash across the UK.” The UK authorities consider adopting a bill that would guarantee citizens access to ATM machines near their homes.
