The Inter-city Bus Station Association has applied for an interim injunction to restrain the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and South Africa’s Inter Cape Mainliner Zambia Limited from launching a local road service business in Zambia.

The association has complained that RTSA had proceeded to issue a local service licence to the Southern Bus operator without regard to the law and public interest in protecting upcoming local distance bus operators.

The plaintiffs were now claiming for an order that the licence issued or granted to Inter Cape Mainliner be cancelled and a declaration that RTSA’s decision was null and void.

The association, in its statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court yesterday, claimed that the decision by RTSA to grant Inter Cape Mainliner of South Africa a local road service licence to operate their buses in Zambia was unfair because it was going to cause untold distress to the locals.

They complained that once Inter Cape starts its operations, indigenous Zambian long-distance public transport operators would suffer because of the stiff competition that would be created by Inter Cape Mainliner due to its financial muscle.

The affidavit is signed by the association chairperson Azim Ticklay of Ticklay Coach Services, secretary Alex Chule, the proprietor of Zambia-Tanzania Express, and treasurer Christon Vwalika , the proprietor of CV Transport.

They indicated that as concerned parties, they sought audience with RTSA and lodged their complaints but the agency’s chief executive officer Frederick Mwalusaka referred the matter to the Attorney General.

The association said granting Inter Cape Mainliner a local road licence was, in the circumstance, without regard to the due process of the Law.

The plaintiffs were also claiming an order or injunction restraining RTSA and Inter Cape Mainliner by themselves or their agents from launching the South African firm’s local road service business operations.

The bus operators said they represented the interests of many Zambian road service licence holders who run their public transport businesses with a lot of hardships because of stiff competition already existing among the locals.