Nobody has mentioned this, but possibly relevant is the issue of lawsuits: If a class-action is brought against an Uber, it can be sued out of existence (think

Nobody has mentioned this, but possibly relevant is the issue of lawsuits: If a class-action is brought against an Uber, it can be sued out of existence (think like a major case that affects their publicity and kills the business). Even though a local government can become bankrupt, it doesn't happen quite that often. It is also easier to police a small subset of bus/train drivers and register a known subset of taxi-drivers than having to manage a work-force of in-out ride-sharing drivers. Ride-sharing also doesn't seem that efficient, as I've never read/heard of an awesome/PR+ story of Uber/Lyft reducing the traffic congestion in New York/London (known as congested cities).