Based on my experiences going out in the pre-Uber world: When taxis are in high demand they’re also every hard to find. Usually you could find one in ~15 minute

Based on my experiences going out in the pre-Uber world: When taxis are in high demand they’re also every hard to find. Usually you could find one in ~15 minutes but not always. And back then they’d sometimes insist on cash so if you didn’t carry enough you’re out of luck. So I’d say that while convenience is one factor, it’s more about reliability. Lyft/Uber just work. Surge pricing is frustrating but it does create the right incentive to get more cars on the road.