COMMENT OF THE DAY: JITNEY JITNEY BANG BANG “This looks like a textbook case of ‘regulatory capture,’ where one company or industry influences the government to write regulations in such as way that public protection is not the main purpose–the purpose instead is to prevent new competitors from entering. (See also bail bondsmen.)” [RWB, commenting on Will the City’s New Jitney Rules Cut Out the Little Electric Guys?]
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What a great opportunity for Houston to get on the progressive bandwagon for a more energy efficient, nimble solution to downtown congestion. Instead of making these guys a whipping a boy because they are trying something new and trying to cram them back into an outdated regulatory box, how about reviewing how the regulation can be rewritten to keep the growing jitney force safe for users. Why mandate a minimum passenger requirement? Don’t we have plenty of half full buses and one-passenger energy sucking cabs already? How the heck do all the pedicabs get around these regulations. Those ridiculous things are a real hazard. If anything needs looking into, it should be the pedicabs.
Someone here suggested on another thread that the cab companies were putting the pressure on the city.
But, now that channel 13 has put the issue ‘out there’, maybe the end result will be more in favor of the jitneys.
Wasn’t there an attempt several years ago to get jitneys going somewhere inside the loop?
I love the Jitneys. How about expand them to Montrose to Downtown! I’d give up my gas-guzzling car if they’d pick up, say, around Westheimer between Mulberry and Yoakum and deliver us downtown!
That would be the best! Who would need a car if you lived in Montrose and worked downtown! Talk about energy-saving!