On the spectrum of healthcare (NHS private partnerships) to municipal transport (Uber) to food delivery (Deliveroo) to casual labor (Task Rabbit), it feels like there are different levels of expectation for governments to fulfill needs, as opposed to leaving it to the free market, ranging respectively from total provision to no involvement at all.

Even when society decides it’s up to the private sector to fulfill its needs there needs to be regulation to avoid the “race to the bottom” from meaning an actual race to rock bottom.

Uber surely provides an amazing service to consumers but at what cost to labor rights, road traffic, and in this case, public safety?

Libertarian playbook:

* Deregulate halfway, by promising that things will be better in the free market

* Wait for trust erosion in the public institutions and regulations

* Remove remaining regulations, because obviously, regulation is not working, and the "free" market will take care of things

* Create an effective monopoly because it is not economic to maintain two or more infrastructures in parallel. After that, raise prices.

If only we really had people lobbying for a truly free market. I.e. a market where rules are imposed and maintained. Where umpires make sure everyone is playing fairly. Where businesses can compete and where customers have a choice.

You know if you are a butcher, you should be pretty pleased with a central inspector touring your shop's front and back, making sure that hygiene is well-maintained. What needs to be made sure though is, that EVERY business competing with you is held to the same standards.

So for uber, I'd be super happy if they'd pay their drivers an agreed standard/union wage (or more) and compensated maintenance costs for their private vehicles they are using for the profit of the company accordingly. It's not much to ask really.

What Uber did have nothing to do with market pressure because all that competition is not driven by the market, but enormous amounts of VC money dumped into it in attempt to capture some market share.

PS: I'm not pushing for government regulation in any way though. UK have enough of totalitarianism-like regulations already.