All those laws exist for all cars, not just taxis.
> fare counter requirements
Classic example of over-regulation, leading to crappy service, low supply, and high prices.
> mandatory drivers background check
If some person is so suspect that you cannot trust them to drive you around in public while being tracked by GPS continuously, why is he not locked up? This is a bullshit made-up requirement and does not prevent anything.
I don't know where you are from, but here taxi cars have stricter safety, ecology, age (and probably more) requirements than private cars. Which makes sense as they usually spend more time on roads and carry more people.
"Classic example of over-regulation, leading to crappy service, low supply, and high prices."
Um, no. Fare counter regulations and checks just make sure that it shows distance/fare correctly, and as far as I know, there's no monopoly in this market -- it's much like scales regulation in grocery stores.
Are you fucking kidding me?
Prison sentences are usually not "for the rest of your natural life", and repeat offending is VERY COMMON.
Edit: GPS tracked by a fucking iPhone app. That the driver can turn off. What the fuck fantasy world do you live in that you can't imagine someone who is walking the streets possibly having bad intentions for other people.
It's a safer system than the existing yellow cab setup - if you go missing, at least they have a pretty good idea about who did it.