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On the subject of meters and when exactly the meter should begin to record a fare, there is little or no guidance out there to help with this one. Many LA's have adopted the 'model byelaws for HC's' which do at least have something to say re this. In many cases you will find that the Byelaws state that ' The driver of a HC provided with a meter shall, before the beginning of a journey for which a fare is charged for distance and time, bring the machinery of the taximeter into action by moving the said key, flag or other device.......' As you can see, the Byelaw refers to a 'journey' and I would suggest that this implies movement of the vehicle.
I can see from the comments that carrying a passenger in a wheelchair can seriously extend the time of the hire but the same Byelaws also require a driver of a HC to 'take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of persons conveyed in or entering or alighting from the vehicle'. Here again,I would suggest that this section clearly sets out an obligation for HC drivers to provide every assistance to disabled passengers. Is it reasonable to start the meter prior to the journey commencing? You would in effect be charging a disabled passenger more than an able bodied passenger who could simply 'hop in'.
It may be that these Byelaws are not in force where you are and so it would be worth checking with your own LA. At the end of the day it is down to a common sense approach and, we would hope, something extra for your time and care.
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