Uber has a minimum of 3,000,000 drivers globally. If Uber adopts the 10$/month membership model like other tech companies such as YouTube and Microsoft, it would earn a total of 30 million dollars every month.
Such a colossal revenue is more than enough to power any technology company, and therefore there’s no reason whatsoever for Uber to continue being the middleman and take a cut of each and every transaction between drivers and passengers.
Uber’s manipulative business model must come to an end. Unfortunately, it’s only due to monopoly rights (aka patents) that Uber continues to arrogantly give the middle finger to the ride-sharing business and devour their 25% royalty from the poor drivers' pockets while raising the fair on customers in the process.
If competitors are allowed to compete with Uber or Lyft, the ride-sharing business becomes a monthly membership for drivers, and the prices of the rides would drop significantly. Drivers’ income would considerably increase as well since they wouldn’t be forced to share a quarter of what they earn with a monopoly. Let's not forget that those who work for Uber are mostly poor folks who wish to earn a decent living to stay afloat in today's unforgiving debt-based economy. And these same poor people are the "human resources" that a cruel monopoly like Uber capitalizes on and exploits for mass profits.
My opinion on this matter is that each country should declare all patents relating to public transport as null and void. Transportation is an essential public utility, and everyone needs to have access to it.
It is not reasonable at all for a democratic republic to allow private for-profit corporations like Uber and Lyft to have monopoly rights over transport technology.
It’s time for a change.