Re: PT Barnum
"Uber's primary 'advantage' is their app, something that can be duplicated by a conventional taxi company. "
Has already happened here in North: Every tax company in the country have their own app, showing where the nearest taxi is and you can call it with a tap on the screen: Can't get easier than that.
Only problem is that *every* tax company (5 of them in this town or near by) has their own app and pricing varies wildly, no way to know what it will cost from here to there, even if you've done that trip before with a taxi owned by another company.