I don’t know about NYC specifically, but that’s pretty common. Not only were there a set amount, there are set fees and minimum standards and requirements for people with disabilities and police checks for drivers etc.

Uber circumvented a lot of those rules. The taxi industry was due for an update and vested interests were preventing that. However, we’ve exchanged one monopoly for another. And now, instead of lots of small business owners, we have one large business andots of wage slaves and surge pricing.