> They are easily replaceable "cogs in the machine", like many non-specialised factory workers, office clerks, retail employees and so on.

> There's a reason why humanity introduced protections for vulnerable workers in almost every society.

I appreciate the point you're making, but I also think you are grossly undervaluing the specialisation of cab drivers.

In the UK, the Knowledge [1] is a notoriously arduous exam which certainly makes cab drivers anything but "replaceable 'cogs in the machine'".

In fact, I think the fact that people view these jobs as being replaceable is what leads to their deterioration. Someone who has a GPS but no innate and learned knowledge of the terrain does not provide a service comparable to someone who has a thorough understanding of the domain. And the more people rely on the former, the more they think that that's all there is to it, and so it becomes a race to the bottom of sorts.

I'm not sure if I'm articulating this fully, but basically: jobs such as cab driving require specialisation and skill to be done well, but are often replaced by those without that skill doing freelance driving, which leads to a deterioration of expected service, and people ultimately thinking that the workers are all interchangeable.

[1] https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing...