Police in court for towing car
ABeijing lawyer has brought a case of misconduct against the local traffic bureau after it towed his car away. The case was being heard at the People‘s Court of Xicheng District Wednesday. The lawyer,Deng Zemin, said he parked his car in a lane in Xicheng District in September, only to find that his car disappeared a couple of hours later. After searching for more than an hour in vain, he called the Xicheng Branch of the Traffic Management Bureau and was told that his car had been towed away for illegal parking. He had to pay a 200 yuan (US$24) towing fee and 10 yuan (US$1.20) parking fee to get his car back. Deng‘s lawsuit has aroused interest among private car owners because many have had similar experiences and some have also lodged complaints over the practice. Dengargued there was a sign in the lane saying "Pay Parking." However, the police claimed the area was off-limits to parking and the sign was not authorized by the traffic management bureau. Dengalso argued his right to be informed was ignored because the police failed to tell him they planned to tow his car. "Moreover, my rights to state and defend were also ignored because the policeman on duty at the branch did not pay any attention to me when I attempted to explain," saidDeng. "I heard from a newspaper recently that the traffic management authorities in Hangzhou (capital of East China‘s Zhejiang Province) will not tow a car away but post a notice on it to inform the owner that the car is parked in the wrong place,"Dengtold China Daily. "I think it is a great move which indicates the police ofHangzhou pay attention to the rights of individuals," saidDeng. The country‘s top legislatures have also looked at the problem of towing away illegally parked cars. The National People‘s Congress passed the Law on Roads and Traffic Safety in October last year. The law, which will take effect on May 1 this year, stipulates that the police should inform car owners that their cars will be towed and should not collect fees any more. The Xicheng People‘s court did not hand down a judgment Wednesday. http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/BjToday/t20040212_105918.htm
北京市瑞中律师事务所主任、创始合伙人 邓泽敏律师 联系电话：13901011630
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