The absence of bank branches and ATMs in small municipalities within the Community of Madrid, particularly in rural settings, forces residents to travel to perform basic financial transactions. This situation creates inconvenience and additional costs, disproportionately affecting the elderly and those with reduced mobility.
“"We have to travel to nearby towns, to Cabanillas or Guadalix."
The 'Cash Race', organized by Nickel, will take place in Navalafuente, a municipality of nearly 1,800 inhabitants that has been without an ATM for two years. The 7.4-kilometer race symbolizes the average distance residents in these areas must travel to reach a bank. Coinciding with the event, the organizing company will open a financial access point at a local tobacconist.
Beyond the lack of banking services, Navalafuente residents face other deficiencies in basic infrastructure, such as the absence of hardware stores or difficulty accessing essential products like bread on certain days. This situation reflects a decline in services that were once common in the locality.
In response to this problem, the Community of Madrid has announced a 4.6 million euro investment plan over the next five years. The goal is to ensure the installation and maintenance of ATMs in 61 municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants that lack a physical bank branch. Most of these devices will be located in the Sierra Norte, one of the most affected areas.
This plan will be complemented by strengthening mobile banking, through agreements with financial institutions to facilitate the presence of itinerant offices. These measures are part of the 'Pueblos con Vida' (Towns with Life) program, which aims to secure basic services, boost the local economy, and encourage population retention in rural areas.
