"You mentioned LPG, you're business model probably wouldn't even be viable if you didn't use gas, and its probably part of regulations.
In your business model the driver, the operator and government (license issuer) all have their hand out.
Uber mostly keeps the money in the hands of the person actually doing the work." Every one takes a "cut", even Uber. You seem to prefer guesswork rather than doing some basic research.

"Uber drivers have reputation which means that I'm not likely to have one of your foreign (whoever you can get to keep the cash flowing) 'no speaka english' drivers take me the long way." Your remarks are now becoming offensive, especially as there are remedies available to passengers. A complaint to a co-operative's complaint dept is treated seriously because a bad driver loses customers and can cause serious damage to vehicles through poor driving practices. Co-operatives appoint experienced drivers as monitors to keep an eye open for breaches of the rules, drivers suspected of breaching and varying other practices inimical to to the industry's good name. I was a monitor as well. What you imply clearly applies to some Uber drivers as well.

"Also the driver himself is the owner and may give a better service because they are not just an employee." Nothing has revealed your unfamiliarity with this subject so much as this remark. No driver is "just an employee", he is self employed and rents the use of a taxi for a specified period for a set fee per shift. He works for himself, pays his own income tax, GST and superannuation contributions [this last is voluntary as he is self employed]. Cont......

You write: "Clearly in some ways it's a cheaper better more modern system." Clearly you need generalisations to cover for your dismal lack of knowledge.

"I respect your involvement and knowledge in the taxi industry, yet this is not my concern in regards to my opinion on this issue." To be honest I find you to be a rather incompetent spokesperson for Taxi Complaints Inc. I have no desire to arouse you to annoyance or dudgeon, it's not in my interest though I do admit that you may rejoice in being of similar value to the taxi industry as a supporter and friend. Clearly you have a chip on your shoulder, probably induced by some unhappy experiences. This seems to convince you that you are something of an expert. Speculation and guesswork require minimal effort at refutation in subjects such as this. Perhaps you can try to offer something a little more challenging next time.

Before Uber, it was the governments handing out of licenses that was the issue.
Too many licenses made it difficult for taxi operators because there wasn't as many fares to go around.

You may consider my remarks offensive but it doesn't change the fact that its true.
Taxi operators hire Indian drivers at 45% of the takings of fares over Australians at 50%, so you've ALL brought the quality of your own service into disrepute by being greedy.
And you will have ANYONE drive a taxi if it comes down to it because you need to keep the dollars flowing, hence accidents.

I rented a factory about 15yrs ago where the man next door did maintenance on cabs, There were ALWAYS beat up looking taxis in there getting repairs from small accidents, so I should know.

I don't know what your problem is Pogi.
Maybe you're peed off because you spent hundreds of thousands on taxi licenses that now have far less value and now anyone with a car under 7years of age can get a piece of your action.

Maybe there is some scope for compensation since the government was essentially ripping you all off the entire time, but the aspect where I feel you should not be entitled to any recourse is where:

YOU YOURSELVES BID FOR THESE LICENSES AND YOU YOURSELVES SET THE PRICE.

If you go bid in an action and pay more than what something is worth then that's your fault no-one else's.

If its self employed then how come I have to apply for a job to be a taxi driver? That I have to do shifts that you decide?

Uber is self employed, Taxis are a job working for someone else where your pay is a cut of takings.

You had 41yrs in the taxi industry, maybe that's the problem.
You're outdated system was created in the days before mobile phones and where you needed a land line to request one.
I'm sorry but the world has changed since then.

Armchair Critic writes; "Before Uber, it was the governments handing out of licenses that was the issue.
Too many licenses made it difficult for taxi operators because there wasn't as many fares to go around." Hence with Uber now operating there are even more rides being offered to a simultaneously barely increased number of potential passengers.You seem to have forgotten from which side of the issue you are arguing from.

"And you will have ANYONE drive a taxi if it comes down to it because you need to keep the dollars flowing, hence accidents." Your points here are self-contradictory. Please refrain from attributing your own stupidity to your interlocutor. Employ bad drivers so their pay-in can be used for repairs and the concurrent time off the road? you would never get very far in any industry using that kind of reasoning. In addition, I know of no owner so desperate that he would employ a questionable driver. I know of several operators though who lease multiple plates from retiree owners and who have reputations as "cowboys", who are not too choosy about who drives for them. Their cars are the ones one sees regularly in body shops etc. As well, a very high percentage of working taxis are on the road 24 hours a day, that's the way to keep the dollars flowing with any sensible taxi business. Given their constant presence in traffic the car is much more vulnerable to damage than is a Uber car. I NEVER HAD JUST ANYONE DRIVE FOR ME. It is inimical to plain common sense and good business. Something you seem to not understand. It's a great pity that you are more likely to rely upon ill-informed criticim and derogatory remarks that have no basis in fact than to learn and be better informed and appreciate both sides of an argument. Cont.....

Personally, as I am unable to use services like Uber, I have a strong interest in the continuation of taxi services.

However, when two people agree on some deal between them, in this particular case that A will give B a ride in their car while B will give A some money, I can find no moral justification that would allow person C to deny them that possibility under threat of violence. The fact that person C happens to be a large group of people who name themselves "the state" makes no difference.

Believe me, if I could find such a justification then I would be using it to prevent the taxi industry from closing down and myself being stranded in old age once I can no longer drive myself, but I can't find any.

Armchair Critic writes; cont..... "You had 41yrs in the taxi industry, maybe that's the problem.
You're outdated system was created in the days before mobile phones and where you needed a land line to request one." Once again it becomes necessary to help you extract your foot from your mouth. The "outdated system" used means of communications as good as today except for GPS and cell phones [we had better instruments than cell phones]. These were extra-curricular, independent of the regular radio and computer or the older voice despatch systems. These means were not universally approved of by the co-operatives but were tolerated because we were all highly experienced and responsible owners and drivers and we brought in new work for our co-operatives and drivers from highly satisfied businessmen and made a lot of money by being damned good at what we did. Uber has not yet reached the standard of service some of us reached. Unfortunately such sophistication would have been very dificult to install and beyond the means of some owners and operators to buy. And doubly unfortunately, all of our group will have retired some time ago. The top executive from Bell South in the USA who came to Australia to set up the Optus network used my taxi exclusively while he was in Sydney. It was available to him 24 hours per day. His expense account would have turned Donald Trump green with envy.

All this was not common knowledge and quite esoteric, so I don't expect you to be familiar with our way of working within our group. Suffice it to say that if we were still operating Uber would find its business environment a lot tougher.

I would really like you to take full advantage of my offer to clarify and educate in a polite and and informed way so that we may save embarassment. Please consider........