How is Uber or whatever that different? You can call the police, which are already someones "in the local government you can contact".

And neither the police nor a taxi commission are capable of doing much to protect anyone before a crime is committed (except by the usual channels, e.g. credibly committing to punishing criminals).

Yes, you can contact someone who won't give a crap. That's what you get for paying the monopoly price for taxi services.