Yes their moat is the brand, drunk women will get in an Uber and feel safe because corporate is ultimately putting their name on the line every ride. Nobody will feel safe dealing directly with random strangers.
Which is a surprising viewpoint for those of us who don't have the safety concerns others may have but when you think about it, it makes complete sense.
They use uber because uber killed anything else. That was the entire point of the ride price subsidies.
Let me tell you about taxi cabs.
Everyone hated taxis because they were so unreliable and unaccountable for scamming you outside of a few dense cities like NY.
Essentially Taxi drivers are the random strangers over the apps with ratings and reviews from other riders showing clearly.
Instead, I do get comfort in knowing that there is a database timestamped entry linking myself with an Uber driver identifier. Should something happen, I could theoretically complain/give a lead so investigators can locate my murdered body. Random cab is more anonymous and feels more dangerous in unfamiliar territory.