Author’s vision for Uber: regulated, price-controlled (“can’t charge less than a true cost of the trip”), number of cars not to exceed government mandate, with unionized and minimum-wage-guaranteed drivers.
Also, I strongly disagree with the author's sentiment that more people using uber vs public transit is bad. Shortening people's trip time sometimes as much as 1 1/2 hours to 20 min is a huge benefit. Transit could be better, but it won't be if it doesn't have to compete with a genuinely good experience.
Additionally, consider the number of people who have not driven drunk because uber is cheap enough that they are willing to do it. Transit doesn't run as much at night, and people are not willing to either wait the 2h to take night transit if it exists, or pay $50+ a ride for a taxi. We can argue all night about whether or not people should do these things rather than drive drunk, but the cold hard reality is that services like uber have actually reduced the number of drunk drivers by making efficient transport affordable.
I wouldn’t be surprised if city hall economists publish some impact study on drivers’ revenue, or on congestions: both are hot topics there.
[1] Nothing wrong with being an immigrant - I’m one myself, although not poor anymore. I’m just pointing out that pre-Uber system didn’t offer much protection either. Since driving is an easily obtainable skill with no differentiation whatsoever, driving for hire - be it a cab driver, truck driver, or Uber driver - will always be a low-earning job.
And of course a huge blow to consumers which is the whole point of Uber's existence anyway.
As for consumers, yes, it's generally felt as a blow when they have to start paying the actual costs of things, instead of coasting by on VC subsidized things.