A car boot used to lock up an illegally parked car.
An Ontario town has put the brakes on devices used to prevent vehicles from parking illegally.
Oakville said it has approved a new bylaw in response to calls from the community about the increased use of parking boots and similar devices that lock vehicles in place without the vehicle owner’s consent.
Some have countered that the new rules turn a blind eye to illegal parkers who now have free rein to leave their vehicles anywhere they want without fear of being towed or fined.
The use of parking boots has increased following a move by the town last year that made it tougher to tow illegally parked cars.
Property owners and tow truck drivers, eager to get around the anti-towing rules, have since turned to the boots as a way to capture illegal parkers and to charge them a …