Uber isn’t what it is because they broke the law, but because the vast public approve of their actions.
My sense is this is in decline
I suggest watching this with subtitles, while it is a comedic skit taken to the extreme you can see how taxi drivers were viewed before ride sharing apps disrupted the taxi industry.
Predicability - You wouldn't know how much the fare would be when getting into a taxi. In addition, driving indirect routes to charge more and claiming the ride cost more than the normal fare were common scams. Uber/Lyft tells you the price before you order the ride.
Ease of payment - taxis had card machines pre Uber but the machines were frequently "broken" unless the rider spent time arguing that they had no other way to pay. Then, in a miraculous turn of events, the machine recovered.
Accountability - If a taxi driver stole from you, you had essentially no chance of finding them again, especially as a tourist. Uber/Lyft stores this information and surfaces aggregate reviews.
Yeah? So do I. I really wish we still had them everywhere, but thanks to Uber, you can pretty much only get a cab in Manhattan.
I take a cab over an Uber any time its practicable, it's almost always cheaper. For the same price as an Uber, my cab driver gets a really nice tip.