You make a good point. I think some of those checks - the CRB for instance, are undoubtedly good things. I wish that the black cabs would move on and require operators to have GPS devices and not rely on "The Knowledge". Impressive as it is, in my experience it results in longer routes and often relies on the passenger knowing where they are going.

The main sticking point though must be the fares though - black cabs are significantly more expensive than Uber, and this is the main reason they are losing business IMO. I would be interested to see a breakdown of why the fares are more. Is it simply more money in the pockets of the drivers? Or does the extra money pay for better vehicles, insurance, training, taxes etc?