[cforrester]

> The big difference between uber and taxis is that uber drivers have a direct incentive to improve via ratings.

I'm not sure this is true. There's a limit to how well any driver can perform their job; unless a driver is rude to me or drives unsafely, I rate them five stars every time because I can't think of any legitimate reasons to rate them lower. When minor annoyances do occur, my desire not to disrupt another person's livelihood pressures me to let it go and rate 5 stars anyway. If they went above and beyond, I'd still rate them 5 stars. For me, that means the rating system tends to homogenize all service quality ranging from average to amazing.

My impression is that the incentive is more fear-based: even a brief period of below-average performance might cost you your job.