Originally Posted by Ninety5rpm

Driverless taxis addresses all the major drawbacks of public transportation that is at the root of its failure.

First and foremost, driverless taxis are a door-to-door service. To use public transport you have to get to it from your starting point, and then get to your destination once you arrive at the nearest station or stop. Driverless taxis pick you up at your front door, and take you to the entrance of your destination, which is even better than driving yourself, having to find parking, and walking from your parking spot.

Secondly, driverless taxis are on-demand. Public transport works on a schedule. You have to accommodate your schedule to their schedule. Even with human drivers in them I can summon an Uber or Lyft for a spontaneous trip to arrive within a few minutes. But most trips are planned and can be scheduled for the car to arrive at a precise time. This will become even more efficient and reliable with driverless taxis which will cost practically nothing to just sit there and wait for a trip request (so keeping an ample supply to meet peak demand will be economically viable),

People might not give up their vehicles immediately, but the path of least resistance will be to take a driverless taxi. Most families will quickly shed their vehicles to be down to one. Then, if your spouse has the car you go driverless taxi. Suddenly they'll realize they both went driverless taxi every day for the last two weeks and the car has just been sitting there, unused. You won't have to be a wizard accountant to figure out continuing to own the car makes no sense.