The issue here isn't the scrutiny that the legitimate drivers got - it's largely the same for taxi and private hire drivers. What has happened here is that a legitimate driver has been impersonated by someone who does not possess a PHV licence.
PHV drivers are supposed to wear a badge with their photo and identity on it, but Uber appears to have allowed drivers to change their in-app photograph to that of a different person, making it appear to the passenger that the driver is legitimate.
I would imagine that a certain amount of impersonation is not uncommon (it's more economic to recoup the cost of leasing a vehicle and insuring it if it's generating revenue over 24 hours), but Uber's system seems to have facilitated it.
