[spwa4]

Okay ... and for all of Europe?

Also this does not explain why, for example, the New York city government didn't stop them in New York. After all, they sold licenses ("taxi medaillons"), which came with the explicit government promise their position would be protected against competition. That was the deal. In fact, a lot of city governments did this.

They just abandoned it (without, of course, giving anyone their money back, but it's not like that would have helped)