The transportation service center in Zhangqiu, a satellite city of Jinan in East China's Shandong province, was ordered on Tuesday to stop illegally imposing fees on owners of cargo vehicles, according to Qilu Evening News.

The center, which was established in 1999 by the Transportation Bureau of Zhangqiu, has committed the illegal deeds for 13 years, the report said.

The director and deputy director of the bureau are now under investigation and have been suspended from their posts. Bureau officials are also being required to visit cargo vehicle owners who paid the illegal fees and apologize to them, according to a decision by Zhangqiu discipline authorities.

Since its opening, the center has imposed a service fee of 250 yuan ($40) a year on every cargo vehicle owner who applies for a transportation license from the bureau.

Vehicle owners have sued the center three times in a local court, which late concluded that the service fees are illegal and called on the transportation bureau to correct its behavior.

The bureau ignored the court ruling and continued to collect the money illegally.

After being exposed by Qilu Evening News, the Zhangqiu government formed a panel led by the head of Zhangqiu Commission for Discipline Inspection and charged it with the task of investigating the transportation bureau.

Several officials at the transportation service center have been dismissed.