this post was submitted on 17 May 2024
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And that is the problem with this idea.
Why? Most of our businesses are private. The stores you go are private, the taxi you take are private, the cinema, the airlines, hell even electric and water companies are private. What so special about Uber that it has to be publicly owned? We do have public busses, this will be on top of that.
You might have a point with this one. In fact, there are a ton of private companies already successfully running public transport systems. I think most people (myself included) just wouldn't trust a company like Uber for this kind of job. I guess in the meantime we can be happy for (potentially) more bus routes but still weary.
By making something private, IMO you're revoking its status as an inherent right, and restricting access to only those who can afford it.
IMO the primary issue with this specifically venture funded stuff is that it'll undercut the competition for as long as possible, and then hike the prices once the competition has ceased to exist. When other recurring sources of funding are available, as it usually is with public services, this kind of thing is much less of an issue
Name an industry where a private corporation competes with a local government monopoly?
Pretty much every industry in a developed country. Every decent country will have private and social healthcare which compete with each other. It will also have a whole range of private and government owned transport options. And oil rich countries like Norway will have both public and private oil companies.