I'm saying that we could use an open alternative for existing services, not that an open solution should have been first. Uber spent a lot on lawyers and broke

I'm saying that we could use an open alternative for existing services, not that an open solution should have been first. Uber spent a lot on lawyers and broke a lot of laws to clear the hurdles, making it much easier for someone to come in and provide a similar service at a fraction of the cost. There's no reason why someone building an open solution couldn't work with the cities and get their endorsement.