With public transport there is this concept of service, the service exists to get people from A to B in a timely, affordable fashion. There are wider benefits t

With public transport there is this concept of service, the service exists to get people from A to B in a timely, affordable fashion. There are wider benefits to society and the economy for doing this. With this Uber protest and the way this battle is working out there has been remarkably little discussion on how technology and tradition can be aligned to move people from A to B more efficiently. It should be possible to have people have a step change in service thanks to modern technology with cab drivers able to profit more than they used to by being able to take more passengers. We could also cut down on the amount of cabs rolling around looking for rides. We actually need some strong leadership in London to cut a deal. A deal where getting a cab is easier and cheaper for normal people, where taxi drivers make more money than previously (and still get respect for doing the knowledge), where the air quality is better and where tax revenue for London increases too. This is a problem that can be solved. If government had any technical competency then they would have seen this off a long time ago with their own 'uber' app, one where the 5% (or whatever it is that Uber get) goes straight into government coffers as taxation. Such a public sector app - had it been written - could have been shared with cities all over the world that are having problems with Uber.