Public transport is not a for-profit business, therefore you should not expect it to generate cash. You wouldn’t expect highways, national defence or a hospital to bring in money.
However a functioning public transport network reduces costs caused by high car usage such as pollution, parking, traffic accidents, traffic jams, higher road maintencance.
In the end everything is for profit business. New fleets of buses won’t magically pay for themselves. City may subsidize the public transport, but it’s because the increased economic activity and quality of life attracts people and businesses resulting in higher tax revenue.
Public transport is not a for-profit business, therefore you should not expect it to generate cash. You wouldn’t expect highways, national defence or a hospital to bring in money. However a functioning public transport network reduces costs caused by high car usage such as pollution, parking, traffic accidents, traffic jams, higher road maintencance.
In the end everything is for profit business. New fleets of buses won’t magically pay for themselves. City may subsidize the public transport, but it’s because the increased economic activity and quality of life attracts people and businesses resulting in higher tax revenue.
And in a democracy maybe because it is good for the citizens?