In Netherlands, most (all?) Ubers are actually cabs. And many of my NL Uber rides have thankfully been in the taxi cars which are well maintained Mercedes E or

In Netherlands, most (all?) Ubers are actually cabs. And many of my NL Uber rides have thankfully been in the taxi cars which are well maintained Mercedes E or S class cars rather than some dude's 1995 Toyota Corrola. What Uber did that was great was provide an app where you could call a taxi. How they got ahead was by ignoring regulation which enabled them to provide lower fares and get more business. But Uber could not exist without traditional cabs. Or at least, something would fill the void of Uber if there were no cabs. There are many places in cities where cabs congregate to wait for passengers. Airports are probably the best example. People leaving airplanes often need a ride to their final destination. Imagine if everyone leaving the airport had to find a way to get local mobile service and then call an Uber. Eventually you'd end up with Uber drivers recognizing this need and parking themselves near the airport, ignoring calls, and choosing only nearby airport calls. The taxi industry needed a kick in the ass; there is no question. But all they lacked was a good software company and service. They did not need a fleet of regular dudes who happen to own cars and who get deluded into thinking they can have a real income from driving people around. The news is full of sad stories of people who struggle to get by as Uber drivers.