Raw LLM Responses

The comparison between self-driving cars (AVs) and taxis isn't all that accurate. AVs are more like convenient rental cars, without the need of having to pick them up and return them. We already have something similar in some Dutch cities, the neighborhood car. Book by app, use it while you need it, return it to its dedicated parking spot (close to home in your own neighborhood), and pay by app. Such a convenient and affordable option is not making people to stop using public transport... it has people ditching the cars they own. If you only need a car occasionally but you hate the hassle of renting one or booking a cab when you do need one, these neighborhood cars (and AVs in the future) are a money- and space-saving godsend. A better deal than owning a car, which is so eye-wateringly expensive here that once you have one, you will use it for every damn errand in order to squeeze out every cent of value. Rental AVs can also take the hassle out of car pooling. People don't like car pooling much, but it's not so much the idea of having to share a space with a few others or having to make a little detour, it's more about the hassle of having to coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs every day, being tied to each other's schedule. But in a rental AV, you could choose: max nr. of people in a vehicle, max amount of extra minutes travel time, and so on. So: we just reinvented the mini-bus that already exists for the elderly. Except that without a driver, it is far cheaper to operate, making it an option for everyday commutes. This can result in fewer cars on the road instead of more. Also because the AV that handles the daily commute for a few people can double as a taxi during the day. The one worry that is valid is these things becoming too good an option, and have people switch from public transport to using these. How much of an issue is that really? According to the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics, almost 70% of all travel is done by car. Public transport is just 10%, cycling another 10%. If half of the riders and cyclists decide to grab an AV instead, road use would see a 15% bump (probably more in cities, less on highways). That's a lot but hardly catastrophic, and the effects would be ameliorated by people sharing vehicles.