They recognized that the local licensing laws were causing horrible market distortions or outright market dysfunctions. The salient points are the market dysfunctions. Where is the market failing and causing misery? What businesses/organizations have captive customer bases, really don't care about bad user experiences, and have outdated equipment?

20th century cabs were miserable, and even faced with competition, taxis are slow to adapt, have outdated technology, and persist in poor user experiences.