Taxis are hackney carriages and are licensed to pick people up from the roadside, i.e. hailing a cab.
Private hire vehicles are only permitted to pick up pre arranged bookings and are not permitted to pick people up from the side of the road.
If you have a complaint about either type of vehicle and it does not involve a criminal complaint then contact your local authority. Each local authority will have a department that deals with such issues. It is advisable to get the badge number of the driver involved as well as the vehicle's licence plate number.
