there are a few problems with the article: first, busses in US cities are either too full on clogged streets or too empty on empty streets to have an average load factor high enough to make them less polluting than cars. Cars. even ordinary sedans, used as shared robotaxis could readily beat busses environmentally. But once you get purpose-built mini-bus robotaxis, that will dominate in efficiency.

I'm all for better social amenities, but, in the US, with maybe a couple exceptions, robot-rides-on-demand is the likely winner, and it will be a near ideal free market: No barriers to entry, relatively low capex to get started, intermediaries enabling any size fleet to get customers, etc.