[salawat]

Seems to me Uber is trying to pitch itself as a subcontracting company that just happens to utilize it's dispatch and subcontracting infrastructure for ride hailing.

Which still makes their claim indirectionist bullshit. Their subcontracting involved investment in building up fleets of vehicles, leasing them to their "contractors", and creates a situation identical in every way that matters to operating as a taxi company. The potential or intent to try to port their business methodology elsewhere does not detract from the fact traffic engineers now have to take them into account when planning out infrastructure.

This is the type of regulation flaunting that has fueled the coming backlash against SaaS providers that supply the logistical infrastructure to make something happen, but hide behind a shield from liability because the actual performer of the task is a "standalone free agent".