The Uber experience is (or at least used to be before covid) way, way better than London minicabs used to be. Minicabs had no accountability and small fleet sizes - so at peak times they'd either turn up really late or not turn up at all, with no recourse.

I think they've forced everyone to change now - if they disappeared tomorrow another operator would fill the void. But when Uber first started operating it was a radically improved service.