Uber has the benefit of employing the drivers, handling transactions, and controlling pricing. This allows them to refund unfair fares and to punish drivers for

Uber has the benefit of employing the drivers, handling transactions, and controlling pricing. This allows them to refund unfair fares and to punish drivers for poor ratings. The technology is secondary. As is so often the case, much of the expense and inefficiency of the government regulatory apparatus here stems from an aversion to intervene directly in markets.