I wasn&#x27;t making an argument about whether or not the government has the <i>authority</i> to do this. Of course they do, and of course the people have the right to vote for it, and the companies are bound by it.<p>I was arguing that the regulation itself is inadvisable, and I don&#x27;t think the position is particularly absolutist. The government should step in to regulate areas that pose a significant risk to the public, but that the market does a poor job of regulating on its own. Things like food safety and environmental protections are prime examples of this. Taxi driving is not.<p>The damage causable by a single rogue taxi driver is, at its worst, minimal and not much different from the damage that can be caused by any random malicious citizen. If a rapist or murderer wants to rape and murder, being a taxi driver helps them in so doing marginally at best.<p>Do you know what does do a pretty good job at regulating taxi drivers? An instant, non-optional review system.