A shift lever for shifting an automatic transmission is axially supported by a base plate which is provided with a locking device to enable shift operation of the shift lever when the driver depresses the brake pedal. A cover is mounted to the base plate and is provided with a lock cancellation push button to forcedly cancel the locking apparatus at times when the vehicle is being repaired or the like. The button on the cover and the locking device are connected by a flexible wire and so operative force of the pushbutton can be definitely transmitted to the locking device to cancel the lock even if the positions for assembling the cover to the base plate are not always the same.