You’d think if using commute time productively was a big draw, everybody would be riding the bus already, right? I think that the folks who work in occupations amenable to telecommuting and who could be actually productive during a long enough commute probably already are. Self driving cars might add value for the folks whose schedule doesn’t work for park’n ride but otherwise fit the above params.

> You’d think if using commute time productively was a big draw, everybody would be riding the bus already, right?

No, because the buses themselves are not a reasonable working environment. Every single person I know who can take the train to work does, many of them able to work (on trains that allow working - that's not, e.g. subways anywhere I've seen).

Not a single one of those will use a bus, even if it is overall faster (better route, etc.).

Driverless cars are likely to provide a reasonable working environment.

What makes you think they’d be any different from a regular car, taxi or bus other than what you are wishing for?

I can work in a car or a taxi, as long as I am not the one driving. Unfortunately, about 95% of the time I am in a car, I have to drive.

There is a prisoners dilemma with car vs bus. If everyone would take a bus to go somewhere, in total people would be quicker home as there are no traffic jams. But if the traffic jams disappeared then people would selfishly take the car for a speed improvement.

Maybe the key phrase is inadequate equilibrium.

https://equilibriabook.com/

I mostly work remotely anyway these days, but taking a bus/train has rarely been an option for me during my career. And that's very common for suburban/exurban to suburban/exurban commutes.

No, the key factor in favor of driverless cars is the tons of money saved for the transportation industry.