Robotic Taxis

Robotic taxis are one of the high-visibility applications for autonomous vehicles. They would dramatically alter a very human-centric business. According to studies, the price per mile would drop to about fifty cents, and the wait time would drop at least 80%. It would also mean less crime because the taxi drivers wouldn’t be mugged; and more equitable fares because people may trust a computer to not try to inflate the cost of the ride. It would also mean the loss of 178,000 jobs in America. The direct economics make a compelling case.The indirect economics have not been calculating the balance between accommodating that many unemployed while possibly making the riders’ lives more efficient.

(Click on the photo for the link.)

“Self-Driving Cars Could Spell The End Of The Taxi Industry” – Slate