ParkingEye ANPR and two-hour parking tariff sign at Gretna Green Services on the A74(M), Scotland, August 2026.

. ParkingEye automatic number plate recognition and parking-tariff information sign at Gretna Green motorway services in Scotland, photographed in August 2026. The notice explains a two-hour free-stay period followed by charges and sets out payment arrangements for motorists remaining longer, illustrating the increasingly automated management of parking at motorway service areas. ANPR systems record vehicle entry and exit times, while payment may depend on machines, websites or mobile services, creating potential difficulty when drivers misunderstand the rules, lack reliable mobile data, experience payment problems or simply need an extended rest. At a strategic stop close to the England-Scotland border on the A74(M)/M74 corridor, those issues can affect long-distance travellers, families, professional drivers and electric-vehicle users waiting for charging. The image is useful for editorial stories about private parking enforcement, cashless payment, ANPR cameras, parking charges, consumer disputes, motorway services, journey fatigue and digital exclusion. It also complements wider coverage of the challenges of making long road trips when rest, parking and EV charging all operate under separate commercial systems.