"All those laws exist for all cars, not just taxis." I don't know where you are from, but here taxi cars have stricter safety, ecology, age (and probably more)

"All those laws exist for all cars, not just taxis." I don't know where you are from, but here taxi cars have stricter safety, ecology, age (and probably more) requirements than private cars. Which makes sense as they usually spend more time on roads and carry more people. "Classic example of over-regulation, leading to crappy service, low supply, and high prices." Um, no. Fare counter regulations and checks just make sure that it shows distance/fare correctly, and as far as I know, there's no monopoly in this market -- it's much like scales regulation in grocery stores.