Well Ive only used uber in England and Paris so I never heard any complaints - usually they didn’t talk at all
Their ethnicity was identical to that of cab drivers
I cant even compare the ease of mind over knowing the exact fare at time of booking, not needing foreign currency, no tipping, having pickup in minutes and by geolocation!
Spouse just used uber first time... in Beijing
Uber does do tips now, which I do give, especially on very short trips. You’re right though, knowing how much it’ll cost up front, not dealing with payment at your destination. The other aspect is just the ease of getting one, when a taxi isn’t around it is a hassle to get one. With Uber, they easily find you. There’s nothing stopping the taxi services from having an app to assist customers get one of their rides, I’m not aware of such a thing.