Chipata City Council has maintained that it will go ahead to implement the bicycle operators levy.
Director of Housing and Social Services Judith Maambo told Breeze News today that the local authority will go by resolutions agreed at the meeting with all stakeholders.
Ms. Maambo says as far as the local authority is concerned, the cyclists were legally represented by leaders from all wards of their association and there are documents indicating that the Association was legally existing.
She further says Bicycle Riders Association President Kenneth Simango was legally appointed leader adding that if they have squabbles among themselves it is not for the council to intervene.
Ms. Maambo says the local authority is now forming a task force which will be sent to start capturing data to know how many riders are there and identifying the bicycle ranks.
She says the council will authorize and designate bicycle ranks where levy will be collected.
Ms. Maambo says the meeting which was held on April 20th 2017 was attended by RTSA, RDA, Police, Bicycle Association leaders and the Council.
She was reacting to some cyclists who have vowed not to pay the 50 Kwacha annual levy until proper justification is made on who gave the local authority powers to reintroduce the levy, which was banned by late former president, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.