Many urban and densely populated cities rely on public transit, but are these complicatedly fabricated systems getting enough credit and attention? This article highlights three main points: the pros and cons of having the public transit system being government property, the potential of privately own public transit and the importance of public transit in highly populated cities.
Public transit, along with a handful of debatable properties such as the mailing system and healthcare, is debatable whether it should be publicly or privately owned. Take New York’s public transit system for example, the fare only covers up to 45 percent of daily operating costs while Hong Kong’s farebox recovery ratio is an impressive 185 percent. How do they do it?
Up to what I have learned so far in economics 101, government intervention is not always the best efficient way of operations. The price ceilings, price floors along with tax and production quotas often are not always the best methods to display utilitarianism, but Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) shows how public transit can and is a very profitable business which not only maximizes social benefits, but also economies benefits. Citizens rely on the MTR everyday, but little do they know, that MTR is not only a very powerful, but also a very innovative company.
Starting out as just a public transit company, MTR reached out to see what is beyond their scope. This really challenged me to think outside of the box to. I see the world as being interconnected in one way or another and MTR’s value proposition in its business model is the perfect demonstration. It not only provides a service that better conveniences the people of Hong Kong but also creates new purposes for them to travel, such as building and owning attractions near travel hubs.
I moved here from Hong Kong and when I was four years old. I remember taking the MTR myself, but never did I know what an innovative MTR is. MTR is a company that I would want to work for or intern at if I was every privileged enough to have the chance.