The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently deployed its third ‘Bank-on-Wheels’ unit — a modified and branded vehicle designed to provide basic over-the-counter banking facilities to customers living outside city limits –in the Uva-Sabaragamuwa Region.
Available to customers from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on weekdays in the Eratna, Nivithigala, Ayagama and Wewelwatta areas, the mobile unit provides a variety of banking services such as cash deposits and withdrawals, utility bill payments, opening bank accounts, applying for loans, issuing instant and personalised debit cards, obtaining security documents for micro loans and E-exchange remittance payment facilities. It is also equipped with a Cash Recycling Machine (CRM) which is an all-in-one deposit and withdrawal machine.
Commercial Bank’s first Bank-on-Wheels operation was launched in 2018 in the Eastern Region to serve the Kokaddichcholai, Vavunathivu, Aaraiyampathy and Karidianaru areas in the Batticaloa District and Kaluthawali, Periyaporathivu, Vellavelly, and Central Camp – Navithenweli in the Ampara District.
The second such operation was launched in the Northern Region to serve Murunkan, Vankalai, Mulangkavil and Pesalai in the Mannar District; Chemmalai and Kumulamunai in the Mullaithivu District; Rasenthirankulam in the Vauniya District and the Vattakkachchi and Uruthirapuram areas in the Kilinochchi District.
These units help the rural and suburb an unbanked and under-banked communities to carry out their banking needs. The mobile vehicles are deployed according to a pre-decided schedule to operate as a routine branch. The Bank also plans to strategically deploy such units as a part of a recovery plan to support relief operations in disaster situations by assisting needy customers.
The Bank-on-Wheels operation was launched as part of the Bank’s financial inclusion initiatives in selected locations of the country and to strengthen confidence in the formal banking sector.