The Guardian: Private companies want to replace public transport. Should we let them?

The Guardian’s Mark Wilding asks, “private companies want to replace public transport. Should we let them?” To his credit, the answer is no, or at least “it depends.” Sampling Citymapper’s new ride-sharing service in London, and Helsinki’s Whim — the leader in mobility-as-a-service — Wilding finds the latter more appealing and public officials more willing to give it a try.

He was also kind enough to grant me the requisite Uber-is-coming-to-kill-you-all quote:

It might be working. When Transport for London recently announced that its passenger numbers have fallen, many pointed the finger at Uber. There is little evidence to prove that connection, but when researchers surveyed the residents of seven US cities in 2016, they found a 6% reduction in use of public buses and a 3% reduction in use of light rail after ride-hailing services were introduced. “Current evidence suggests that ride-hailing is pulling more people away from public transit in cities, rather than adding riders,” they said. Greg Lindsay of the NewCities Foundation encapsulates the thinking: “My fear is that Uber is going to lead to a cycle of cataclysmic disinvestment. They will try to siphon off the most profitable customers and leave public transport a rump service.”