I think Uber totally flipped the power balance between drivers and customers. Before Uber etc., taxi drivers usually had a good experiences driving while customers usually had horrible experiences being passengers.
Now the situation has flipped. When most people think back to taxis before Uber existed, they'll unfortunately rather accept poor working conditions for the drivers than going back to the taxi hellhole they still remember.
This is a very local take. Some places, cab drivers were being taken advantage of even more than Uber does (by the medallion holder). In other places, the driver had a lot better gig pre-uber.
Now the situation has flipped. When most people think back to taxis before Uber existed, they'll unfortunately rather accept poor working conditions for the drivers than going back to the taxi hellhole they still remember.