The driver certainly doesn’t take in the majority. There are a bunch of articles online regarding Uber pay, and it’s of course variable based on how much and where you drive. It seems that in most places it pays at least $20/hr, but that probably includes tips and is before car maintenance expenses (and insurance: most states now require a different car insurance policy if you drive for ride-sharing now).

My general understanding is that these services tend to be cheaper than a traditional taxi but less regulated so I get there’s contention there.

They can be cheaper than a traditional taxi because they handle all the dispatch back-end that traditional taxi companies have, and of course they push maintenance expenses onto their drivers. But their special sauce is in their congestion pricing algorithm, which hikes up rates during periods of “high demand”. I’ve gotten off of planes in the middle of the night before, only to find Uber doubled my fare to the hotel due to “congestion”. (In reality, I bet they didn’t have enough drivers at 3 am). So I searched for the number of a cab company and saved some money.

Taxi companies who want to compete with Uber should just band together and release a nationwide directory app that let’s users phone or text a local cab company that is open 24/7.