The point is that there's no specific reason that the taxi industry "deserves" to be terminated with extreme prejudice by disruptive startups.

Even given its current state in the places you name, I don't believe that justifies handing over billions of dollars to sleazes like the ones at Uber, especially given that the people who do the actual work to make them that money are often working at what works out to less than minimum wage.

Two wrongs don't make a right.