^^^Cab companies actually require a certain economies of scale to operate at a profit. Not sure how "individual-driven" cab companies will work - will further hurt their own bottom lines and will dilute their image/business if they no longer have to "compete" and can all individually offer the same shitty service. Everyone will certainly flock to Uber then.
Cab companies are able to buy NEW cars not even available to dealers yet in bulk for bottom barrel pricing (because the car companies actually use cab companies to test durability and it's a benefit to both parties). Also cab companies are able to insure their business/drivers at reduced bulk rates. Also cab companies operate with a degree of efficiency. They also offer platforms that can compete with other platforms, producing ways to distinguish themselves. There's also the whole concept of a dispatch that gets lost when you go out on your own. With cab apps, cab companies pay to use the app at the corporate level, not at the individual level (2 main apps - Flywheel and Curb).
Cab companies in many cities that have actual large amounts of cabs (NYC, Boston, Chicago, DC, SF, LA) have clamored for more regulation. There are ongoing debates as to whether there are already enough drivers or too many (typically there are too many on the road during the day and much of the evening, but then not enough during peak times such as rush hour or when bars let out). Instead, the cab companies have pushed for more regulation on the Uber/Lyft side rather than deregulation of their own businesses. I would think cab companies in SF (or most really large cities with extensive cab usage) understand the cab business moreso than cab companies in Sacramento, but each market is different.
