Finally, some good news for Britain's long-suffering motorists.
A new ban comes into force today which makes it illegal to clamp, immobilise or tow away a vehicle on private land.
The government is hoping that the new legislation will put an end to the so-called 'cowboy clampers', who have been known to use unscrupulous tactics to extort money from those parked on private land.
However, land owners will still be able to issue penalties to cars parked illegally, and now have the power to install ticket machines to generate income.
Drivers will also be able to challenge penalties imposed on them at an independent appeal service, which is said to emulate the appeal service already in place for on-street fines.
However, this only applies to penalties issued by contractors on the British Parking Association's approved operator list, which means that drivers ticketed by non-registered companies will be unable to appeal.
There is no doubt that the new legislation is a step in the right direction; however, it is unlikely that the new laws will end the corrupt practices of some private parking agencies.
It also seems that the majority of road users are unaware of the changes. A poll from the Institute of Advanced Motorists has revealed that 91% of motorists are oblivious to the new legislation.
