Du Baoliang, a migrant worker who sells vegetables in Beijing, on Monday filed a lawsuit with the Xicheng District People's Court appealing for hefty fines imposed on him for 105 violations of traffic rules.

In his litigation, Du, 40, claimed the penalty given to him by the Xidan section of Xicheng traffic police detachment with the traffic administration of the municipal public security bureau for passing a no-entry sign near the west side of Zhenwumiao Toutiao, Xicheng District, was not valid.

He asked the court to confirm the traffic administrative department violated the law in rendering the penalty and order the department to withdraw the penalty and return the 10,500 yuan (US$1,265) in fines he had already paid.

Du will be given an answer about the litigation within a week, according to Wang Ying, one of the lawyers who offer Du free legal aid.

Du and his lawyers argued that the no-entry sign was not in the state standard for traffic signs, and that the traffic police had failed to notify Du in written form of most of his violations.

Du, a native of east China's Anhui Province, came to Beijing in1993 to sell vegetables. On May 23, he happened to know that he was caught 105 times by the remote electronic monitor to have ignored the no-entry sign at the west side of Zhenwumiao Toutiao while driving his truck to his store since last July.

Du lost 210 points and was fined 10,500 yuan. His driving license was revoked. In addition to paying the fines, he had to attend a week-long training course, where he restudied traffic rules and got a new driving license.

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2005)