TL;DW: The “just buy everyone a car” instead of subsidising transit argument doesn’t work. Even on the least cost efficient bus routes it doesn’t make sense. Also “demand responsive transit” is worse than fixed routes.
TL;DW: The “just buy everyone a car” instead of subsidising transit argument doesn’t work. Even on the least cost efficient bus routes it doesn’t make sense. Also “demand responsive transit” is worse than fixed routes.
I thought this would be dumb but it was a pretty good video. Really does the math but isn’t too nerdy about it either.
By the demand responsive transit
ubertaxis is great sometimes, it just isn’t a valid replacement for busses and it costs a lot more than fixed route busses do. Edit: oh yeah this is fuck cars. Fucks cars! Fuck uber! 😋Taxis are cool, they’re a good way to fill in a few gaps for those that don’t own cars or are visiting a place.
Uber and other ride share apps seem to just increase the number of cars on the road while also exploiting their drivers.
Taxis are a necessary evil and are okay when they are used to fill in a few gaps. Germany for instance recognizes taxis as public transport.
Uber’s role and goal, however, is the same as every other tech platform: rent-seeking, regulatory capture, coercive monopoly, tech-feudalism. Enshittification, as Doctorow called it recently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification
I don’t know specifics but I know in some rural areas in my state they’re experimenting with rural “public transit” as essentially subsidized taxi service.