Public Bus Service Going Private

Unnoticed by a high majority of citizens in New York City was the MTA shutting down Brooklyn’s B23 bus route that chartered the Kensington and Ditmas Park neighborhoods for several decades.

What many don’t notice is that the fate of the B23  charter bus service line is just another example of local governments replacing public services they had previously offered with private companies presenting the same things.

In this case, the charter bus service is being replaced by “dollar vans,” which will be city-sanctioned full-sized vans operated and run by the  private company Sunset Transportation Service Inc.

In the case of B23, the transition appears to be a wise one. After all, these vans will be easy to garage and fuel, and are more environmentally friendly (and practical) than big empty buses being driven on low-demand routes.

But it’s undoubtedly worrisome to those who fear privatization of essential services. With the increase of public transportation costs only being restricted by public officials need to be re-elected, a lot of people get worried (or at least, they should) when public transit starts getting taken over by  charter bus service companies.

That’s not to say that Sunset Transportation Service, Inc. is set to do nothing but increase prices. But anytime a private company takes over for a public service, it is something to certainly look out for.