[ShadeTreeMech]

artificer read my mind

think about the movie I robot, where the cars are computer controlled and the driver essentially gets in and turns on the autopilot.

I think the perfect public transportation system would consist of getting into one of many cars at a car park, putting in money for the cost of arriving at your destination, sit there as the computer gets yu there efficiently, then you get out of the car and leave it behind for someone else to do. And even a child could use one, since there is no need for a driver.

This wouldn't displace the need for normal cars outside of the urban area, but a mass of computer controlled cars have several advantages, especially if there was a computer system controlling all of them and could time things to move everyone around efficiently. Imagine a subway system where individual cars move to the terminal instead of the whole train, according to the individual needs of the occupants.