Uber are lying liars who lie in many markets. This is demonstrated by the fact that in London, they simply went out and got the PHV license, and made sure the

Uber are lying liars who lie in many markets. This is demonstrated by the fact that in London, they simply went out and got the PHV license, and made sure the vehicles comply (checks every 6 months, public liability insurance, etc.) - if they did this in every other market, no problem. The issue is that isn't a very sexy business. It's not "disruptive" like car pooling. And in some markets, the cost of complying with the regulations is extremely high. Even in London, it's been argued that the app in the car is a meter, and therefore breaches legislation relating to metered trips: only black cab drivers are allowed to meter, and the regulation bar there is much, much higher in part because those drivers are free to just pick people up off the street without pre-booking. It seems to me that they should either focus on ride-sharing and get out of the private hire business, or they should focus on the private hire business and do it properly. The regulations around private hire are not some idiot state actors nannying around: in London they have evolved over centuries. Literally. They are constantly reviewed, and London has an incredibly diverse and active PHV market with many innovators (Addison Lee, Hailo, Kabbee, etc.) improving things in regards to customer choice.