Wheeling and dealing

Renovating a bank can cause headaches for clients, especially if the branch being renovated is the only one in the area. Lukas Bank has come up with an innovative solution to the problem - a mobile bank office, called Lukasmobil.

"We want to provide our clients with services when the branches are being renovated," the vice president of Lukas Bank, Ewa Franiczek, said. "We also want to reach new clients in places where there is no banking infrastructure and won't be in the near future."

Lukasmobil is a Mercedes Atego 815 truck painted in the bank's bright green and yellow colors. Inside, on just 12.5 sqm, one can find three customer service desks. Clients can withdraw cash, make a deposit, transfer money, apply for a loan, pay back loan installments or use an ATM. The truck's database is connected to the bank's via satellite. It can either be connected to a power source or run on its own generator.

The company has had to address several security issues specific to the mobile bank. The satellite connections are coded, the vehicle is protected by an alarm and monitoring systems and by GPS navigation. "This allows us to remotely stop the vehicle," explains business development manager Grzegorz Kański. Furthermore, Lukasmobil doesn't have money on-board when moving from one location to another. If the power generator doesn't work, the vehicle's emergency power system allows the branch to function for a few hours.

Lukasmobil's first mission was in Zakopane at the beginning of July. It has since moved to Świnoujście on the Baltic coast, after which it will travel to Szczecinek and Suwałki. In September a second Lukasmobil will come into action. "We do not rule out more Lukasmobils being launched," Franiczek said. She disclosed that the cost of the mobile bank is similar to the cost of opening a new branch. This year Lukas Bank is to spend zł.60 million on 90 new branches.