Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Transit Battle

Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by bruceb on Friday September 11, 2015 @10:36PM (#10207033)

When it was started it also was not wheelchair accessible. Not sure if this is still the case. Cherry picking profitable routes is not the same as providing access to all residents of the city.

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by tdyen on Saturday September 12, 2015 @08:03AM (#10207874)

Reminds me of insurance companies cherry picking the healthy people. The profit motive conflicts with providing a universal service. While it can work, in Australia we have a public Health system, Medicare, that covers everybody.

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by icebraining on Saturday September 12, 2015 @09:09AM (#10207992)

Chariot proudly offers accessible service upon one day’s advance notice. Please email us at [email protected] or call 844-692-4274 to reserve.

https://www.ridechariot.com/faq

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by hugh4 on Saturday September 12, 2015 @12:13AM (#10207194)

So how much of the city's residents' taxes turn out to be just subsidising the tiny minority who need wheelchairs?

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by jeromegv on Saturday September 12, 2015 @12:43AM (#10207247)

Does it matter? That's why public transit and government exists, to offer services to every single person.

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by hugh4 on Saturday September 12, 2015 @01:58AM (#10207413)

That's one view of the role of government, I'm not so sure it's the right one. I at least think it should be up for debate.

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by simoncion on Saturday September 12, 2015 @04:41AM (#10207618)

The thing about common carriers is that they're designed to be the carriers of last resort. They have special dispensation from a governing body to operate and -in return- they are obliged to offer their services to all who can afford them.

Common carriers are a long-standing practice that has clear benefits for society as a whole. What's more, back in the 1960s and 1970s we -as a nation- realized that there is value in helping the weak, infirm, disadvantaged, and those subject to discrimination participate as fully as they are able to in the public sphere.

If you want a somewhat less academic reason, remember that you can be afflicted by illness, infirmity, handicap, or -albeit on a longer timescale- discrimination at any time. When you're down, it's good to have services available that help prevent you from hitting rock bottom and allow you to help yourself get back on your feet quicker than you would on your own.

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Re:Chariot Wins First Round of San Francisco's Private Trans... by rhizome on Saturday September 12, 2015 @01:04AM (#10207301)

Are you suggesting that that's a problem to be solved?

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