Uber is not a taxi service. It is a car service (i.e., a limousine service). Taxi service: picks up any passenger, off the street, anywhere, without any prior

Uber is not a taxi service. It is a car service (i.e., a limousine service). Taxi service: picks up any passenger, off the street, anywhere, without any prior arrangement to do so. The passenger may not have any opportunity to investigate the taxi provider ahead of time, or to choose their taxi (i.e.,at airports or hotels), so regulation is placed on taxi providers for the protection of passengers. Car service: picks up a passenger by virtue of a prior arrangement. In some locations, that arrangement can be be minutes old; in others, the arrangement must be made hours in advance. The passenger has the opportunity to investigate and choose the car service provider, so regulation is significantly reduced.