[makomk]

Other private hire companies existed 10 years ago, they were just generally telephone based rather than internet-based.

[jason0597]

Add to that that then-telephone-only private hire companies are moving to the internet, you're now left with the question of what makes Uber better than another private hire company

[isostatic]

Ubiquity -- Uber works in London, but it also works in Manchester, and Cardiff, and New York, and Sydney

Addison Lee works in London.

[stuaxo]

Uber has almost completely wiped these out.

There used to be loads of taxi offices, you would go in and talk to a human and outside you would get into a taxi.

Now, the offices still exist - but if you go in, it's just an empty room with a phone for you to speak to some central room.

Uber has killed all these small businesses.

[ajdlinux]

And generally more expensive luxury private hire services rather than cheaper-than-taxi hire services, as UberX typically is.