Almost everywhere in the world, public transportation is government-run because it has to be. Most cities in the world (except in
very crowded ones like Hong Kong, and Singapore, with a lack of private cars and a high concentration of demand) just aren't dense enough to make private buses profitable. I think they should make better use of advertising (in Hong Kong they have billboards on the side of subway tunnels) and stamp out fare avoidance, to keep prices lower for everyone.
I remember when I lived in Geneva I never once paid for the use of public transportation. The two times I saw inspectors in the six months I was there I simply hopped off the bus, tram, or train before they got to me.
Lucky fool, you!! I remember being with my mom in the London Tube and when we tried to leave the station (Ealing Common) we were fined ten pounds as the inspector at the gate caught us not having a ticket that allowed us to travel beyond Zone 2.
I think this is another bad side-effect of urban sprawl. Public transit just cannot keep up with the same amount of efficiency that a denser city can, meaning poorer services and higher fares. Here in Victoria, with a population of around 350,000, a bus ride is $1.25.
