I believe in some some taxi drivers were already independent contractors. See https://www.shrm.org/legalissues/stateandlocalresources/pages/cms_021187.aspx. Drivers are really no different from any other contractor in the sense that they have to provide the tools required to perform work and those tools wear out. In the same way that I might hire a guy to install some framing and hes going to put wear on his nail gun, compressor and shoes a driver will wear out the car. It sounds like you are against independent contracting in general but I don't think its that unfair since the current alternative for people is a shitty 26hour a week shift with irregular hours and being on call all the time (on and btw you still get no benefits).

The only real law UBER is breaking is that are aren't buying Taxi medallions which IMO are bullshit anyway and act as an artificial monopoly. It would be like if the government deiced to put quotas on Auto mechanics, doctors and plumbers and said that no more people could be any of those professions unless they bought an existing license form someone that already had one. Its nice of the existing holders but unfair to new participants.