For some people, yes. Black folks routinely had issues getting cabs to pick them up, cabs would ask where you were going before you got in and then drive away if the answer was Harlem or outer boroughs, of course you could barely find a cab in the outer boroughs, everyone's credit card reader was "broken", etc.
Meanwhile, many of those immigrants were working off of someone else's medallion for peanuts, so the medallion owner could book Nicki Minaj for his kid's bar mitzvah.
the issue with black people getting yellow cabs in manhattan was real, but tlc would also vigorously enforce any complaints.
i think total rent for a car was something like $260/day and $280/day with medallion. (i think this also includes insurance)
remains to be seen whether this is better than encouraging drivers to go out and buy a late model car on personal credit.
regarding the boroughs, you had to know how to live in the city. any bodega, bar or restaurant would have the number for the nearest black car dispatch and would often call for you... pickup was usually within 5 minutes.
anecdotally: yellow cab drivers often seemed like financially stable professionals who were often raising families and in a good financial position. uber drivers always felt like temps. black car bases throughout the boroughs were often small and family owned. again this is anecdotal, but i like talking to people.
Meanwhile, many of those immigrants were working off of someone else's medallion for peanuts, so the medallion owner could book Nicki Minaj for his kid's bar mitzvah.