Ever since the first publicly-owned trolley system went up in Victorian times and the first horse-drawn carriage owner began to offer his taxi services and founded the first cab company in order to compete, private vans and public transport have been locked in what can only be described as an eternal struggle for patrons. Here’s what you need to know about the issue, how it affects you, and why one way of moving people from one end to a major metropolitan area to another might be quicker, easier, more reliable, or less expensive.
Cost versus Time
One of the main ways to differentiate public transport from cab companies is by cost. Public transport is usually less expensive than a hackney ride, especially since bus and train fare are always the same for each trip. Additionally, you can purchase a monthly bus pass or train ticket at a discounted price. Meanwhile, when you step into a passenger car that meter starts running, and it keeps running throughout the length of the trip no matter how many red lights you might hit or what kind of traffic you end up stuck in.
Of course, the trade-off when it comes to public transport is speed. A bus or a train that has to make several stops along a set route might be relatively inexpensive, but your commute is going to be much longer than it needs to be, especially if your public transport is following a circuitous route. Though, you’re paying a premium for your drive is likely to get you to your destination much sooner as a result of driving there directly with no stops. If time is of the essence, relying on such option is likely to be your best bet. If you’re not concerned with getting there quickly, you may prefer the lowered cost of public transportation.
There’s No Need to See Them as Enemies
The idea that cab companies and public transport like trains, buses, and subways are diametrically opposed to one another is a popular one. Things often do break down to the whole “us versus them” mentality, but the truth is that there is no need to see private and public transportation as being at odds. In fact, there’s even evidence that many commuters use both regularly – in fact sometimes even on the same day.
Evidence recently gathered in New York City shows that a large number of commuters will take a private transport into work or take one to go home, but not both. Arrival and destination figures for the evening commute, when compared to the morning commute, were found to differ wildly; in other words, the same numbers of people riding a taxi into work are not taking personal vans home at the end of the day. These individuals are obviously not sleeping in their offices overnight but instead taking public transport. In other words, buses, trains, and the ubiquitous taxicab are working together to get people to and from work, so why not use – and celebrate – both?