private hire cars

[supersteve2181]

i sometimes work as a private hire driver and i was just wondering a few things:

say a customer is wanting picked up on princes street,as far as im aware only black cabs and buses can go along,so how am i meant to pick the customer up?i had a job the other week when this was the case,its was a disabled lady with a zimmer frame was standing outside M&S,would i get away with it if i was stopped and had the job on my screen stating where i was picking up from?on that occasion i just went and picked her up anyway,luckily never got pulled! but i was also thinking about if it happened again in say quennsferry street where only buses/black cabs have access from both ends, surely this is unfair if its stopping me going about my work :?

and lastly recieved a letter through the door last year informing me i had ran a red light at blackhall,i forgot all about it and never sent my licence away or replied to them,,,what is the time limit (if there is one) before i cant be done for this,,iv not changed address or anything and not heard anymore from them.
thanks

[Police Cruise Liaison]

I've checked with the duty Procurator Fiscal for their view on this, and they would treat it the same as they do the Greenway regulations. If your vehicle is clearly marked as a taxi (door stickers/ roof light/ highlighted tel. no's etc) then they would take no action. If it was not clearly marked, it would be up to you to prove it in a court that you were a taxi and used a certain street to pick up a fare for a reason.

AS for your second point, road traffic offences are normally brought to court within 6 months.

CR.