>> the absence of a set schedule removes the biggest drawback of public transportation
>With a set schedule, I can just go to the stop, wait a minute, and a bus will come – most lines are running every 5 or 10 minutes anyway (or 15 to 20min in the suburbs).
Your European is showing... ;)
In Canada and the US, except some core routes in the urban centre of major cities, you will never see 5 to 10 minute frequency. I feel like this lack of schedule would have far more benefit for North American commuters.
Indeed. And it’s a good thing that for those people we now have the technology to improve things.
But considering what Uber tried to do, I’m pretty sure it will happen again that people try to force US concepts on European cities, and people here get angry because they lose products and services they like, and get worse alternatives.
Which is also a case whenever Google buys a startup and turns a "globally available" service into an "available everywhere – in the US" service.
No, but they tried to eliminate their competition with unfair business practices (predatory pricing, for example, driving without insurance, etc).
The result was that, without them being banned from doing that, they'd have been able to provide a cheaper product, which, for the average customer would not have been better, but long-term, would have reduced the quality of service.
That's the whole point of predatory pricing: first, you are so cheap that all competition dies off, then you increase the prices above what it was before you entered the market, then, if new competition appears, you buy them up or sue them until they're bankrupt.
Any customer will use the cheaper service, cause it is cheaper — but they also lose a lot of benefits over longer terms.
Has Uber actually raised the prices anywhere? Or by "happen again", you're not talking about anything that has actually happened, but that you assume it will happen?
I’m talking about Germany – but the driver’s insurance will not pay if the driver is driving for-profit (which he does in that case) and uber will not pay if the driver has no passenger on board.
And your own health insurance will refuse to pay, too, because the driver is responsible.
The result is that either the pedestrian, or the driver, will end up bankrupt.
>With a set schedule, I can just go to the stop, wait a minute, and a bus will come – most lines are running every 5 or 10 minutes anyway (or 15 to 20min in the suburbs).
Your European is showing... ;)
In Canada and the US, except some core routes in the urban centre of major cities, you will never see 5 to 10 minute frequency. I feel like this lack of schedule would have far more benefit for North American commuters.