They say extended hours was one of the pillars of the community-based style of banking and should be restored.

A Retain Saturday Trading Group has been formed following the decision led by Michael Lindfield who was chairman of Canberra's first community bank, which opened in Tuggeranong in 2001.

Mr Lindfield said there was growing disquiet in the ACT about the direction of the community banks which are locally owned and work as a franchise of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.

Customers become shareholders and profits are directed as dividends to shareholders and grants to community groups and projects.

Mr Lindfield said Saturday trading from 9am to noon had ceased at the Calwell, Curtin and Jerrabomberra branches.

The Wanniassa branch was the only community bank trading on a Saturday morning but there was still uncertainly about whether that would continue, he said.

Mr Lindfield said the reason the community bank model had been so warmly received in Canberra was that it stepped into the breach, when other big banks closed their doors, and emphasised services such as face-to-face contact and extended hours.

"It appears the current board that manages the banks on behalf of the community is being dismissive of the very core reason why customers switched their banking to invest in a successful banking model that enables the entire community to benefit by way of employing locals, providing the full range of banking products including Saturday trading and keeping profits in the community," Mr Lindfield said.

The Canberra Times did request an interview with board members of Molonglo Financial Services Ltd, which manages the community banks, but was issued instead with a statement which said the Saturday trading had ceased because there was not enough demand for it.

"Bendigo Bank regularly reviews its operating hours to ensure we're meeting the needs of our customers. Changes to Saturday trading at selected Bendigo Bank branches in the Canberra region have been made based on lack of customer demand," the statement read.

"... Based on customer feedback, our bank continues to invest heavily in mobile digital banking technologies that improves their experience and these have been well received.

"We continue to increase our presence across Australia, proudly supporting communities with banking services via our unique community bank model, often in towns where major banks have closed their branches.

"Our aim is to be Australia's most customer-connected bank, and we listen and respond to our customer needs, supporting them and the communities in which they live."

Mr Lindfield said if there was not demand for Saturday trading in Canberra, something was amiss.

The community banking model was supposed to be there for the "mums and dads traders", the small business person who needed access to a bank on a Saturday, but also other customers who could not do their banking during the working week.

"It is disappointing to see the majority of our locally-owned community bank branches withdraw their social obligations and responsibilities to the disadvantaged, senior citizens, shift workers like nurses, firefighters, cleaners, computer operators, taxi and bus drivers without any real justification or need. These people rely on Saturday banking," Mr Lindfield said.

Mr Lindfield, who has stood for the Legislative Assembly in the past as an Independent and revived the Democratic Labour Party in the ACT, said his motives were not political and he was not standing in this year's election. His criticisms were also not directed at Molonglo Financial Services Ltd's former chairman Jayson Hinder, who relinquished the post in February and is now a Labor MLA.

Mr Lindfield said he had been approached by shareholders who were concerned because some of the big banks were opening some branches on a Saturday and potentially undermining any competitive advantage held by the community banks.

In the ACT on a Saturday, Westpac opens its Belconnen, Gungahlin and Woden branches while the Commonwealth Bank opens its Belconnen and Tuggeranong branches. St George opens its Woden branch and ANZ opens its Gungahlin and Canberra Centre branches. The National Australia Bank does not open any of its branches on a Saturday.

Mr Lindfield said the protest group, which included customers, shareholders, representatives of community groups and local business people, had met with federal Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann in a bid to restore the Saturday morning hours.

"We are optimistic the board will honour the core values of community banking and its social obligations, namely reintroduction of Saturday morning trading," he said.

"However, it must be said, there is strong community disquiet and it is growing. We don't want this to undermine our financial competitiveness."

The Curtin Community Bank opened in 2012. Local retailer Simon Maddox, a member of the Curtin bank steering committee, said while he was disappointed the bank no longer opened on a Saturday, he understood the amount of business done on a weekend was relatively small.

"We're still increasing our client base and getting more and more contributions in deposits," he said.