> There weren't a lot of taxis outside of major cities
What? In my country at least (France), taxis have been a thing even in the countryside for as long as cars existed (or rather, as long as the telephone has). And I'd be very surprised if that wasn't also the case in most of Western Europe.
In fact it's a much easier job when it comes to routing and knowing your passengers' destinations than doing it in a metropolis.
I guess countryside France is still only 2 hours from Paris or Marseille, while countryside USA is maybe 8 hours or more from a metropolitan area. Not to mention that the population in this usa countryside is already way lower then any population density in the whole of France. Operating a taxi corp there would simply be not viable on a financial term.
In America, ordering a taxi before rideshare apps was unreliable at best, if you were outside of central parts of major cities.
More than one time I got stuck somewhere and had to walk 4 hours home.
> In America, ordering a taxi before rideshare apps was unreliable at best, if you were outside of central parts of major cities.
This was not the case everywhere. For instance, Ireland deregulated taxis in 2002, and service improved massively after that.
It's funny how many amazing tech developments are really just a reaction to the peculiar pathologies of American/SF culture.