The bank flagged off two mobile biometric-access ATMs in Hyderabad, one each for the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, which would stop at locations scheduled by the Reserve Bank of India.

Targeted at reaching out to a large section of semi-literate and illiterate customers, the mobile biometric ATMs would identify the customer based on his fingerprints.

However, personal identification number facility would also be available. The customer would also be guided by voice in local languages on how to use the ATM.

"Besides, many educated customers are preferring bio-metric ATMs as it adds to the safety and security of their money. Keeping this in view, we are planning to take this technology to the masses," K Ramakrishnan, chairman and managing director of Andhra Bank, said.

The bank intends to roll out mobile biometric-access ATMs at Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati during this financial year, with plans to launch 20 such ATMs across the country by 2010.

Stating that the bank's customers have to register their fingerprints at any of its branches to access the mobile biometric ATMs, Ramakrishnan said the bank was currently evaluating a process which would enable customers of other banks to use these mobile ATMs, in due course of time.

At present, the bank has an ATM card base of 23.63 lakh and expects to increase this to 30 lakh by this fiscal-end.

According to him, the bank proposes to add 200 ATMs this year, taking its total tally to 750, and scale the number up to 1,000 ATMs by 2010.