One word: Uber. Current taxi system is antiquated and this demonstrates that it endangers the safety of both passengers and drivers with difficulties in tracking down miscreants. If governments don't want Uber, they should force taxi mafias to get in with the times.
Not sure how he can get away. I would have taken a photo of the car and driver as soon as the dispute started.. mind you, if he was that violent its hard to take pics while running away. (surely enough time while being driven to the peak though, even if only the licence badge at the front....!). What a PR disaster. Hope it gives Uber a leg up. Uber always know who drove every ride.
Seems to be a crime of opportunity, driver picks up possibly drunk expat at the witching hour and tries to scam her. I've had my shares of surly and rude drivers, but I really don't think this is all that common.
I'm all for uber to come back as well, but they should run their taxi business according to local regulation and not just openly flaunt the law. Or just get Lyft to setup here.
Uber itself may not be the answer but as I said, it's time the taxi mafias of the world get with the times. If you can't or won't keep up then get out of the way. I think it's important to keep track of customers and taxi drivers and also to be able to reward/rate good taxi drivers and ban/fire the poor customers/drivers. The only losers are the incompetent and less desirable of this world.