At least Uber challenged the system, a system which desperately needed innovation. it was highly disruptive to the taxi market. And the taxi market is better off for it.
I'm taking about the taxi market. I can now order normal ass taxies where I live though an app, see who accepts and track the car, pay through the app.
Every single taxi "app" I've ever used have been shit. Just last year I tried one out, and the best it did (besides looking like it walked straight outta 2013 UI's in 2023) was give me an "estimated price range" which again left too much room for the cabbie to fuck with the meter/routes.
And they used those strict regulations as a shield to hold local monopolies for decades which resulted in terrible downright scammy service, cash only for an unacceptable amount of time, 0 innovations, dirty ancient barely running cars, a dispatch who would constantly say a car "was just around the corner" for 2 hours