> they also don't have the tech that powers Uber/Lyft which allows anyone to hail a ride from their smartphone

Sure they do, as long as they just get an app built by a contractor and don't employ 5000 engineers building cool open-source infrastructure projects and unnecessary "growth" features.

Multiple taxi companies with ~200 cars in my city each have their own smartphone apps with all the features you actually need: ordering or scheduling a ride, GPS tracking, payment with credit card or business invoice.

Looks like these apps were last updated in mid & late 2020, but if it works you don't need a permanent tech team to keep the taxi business going.