If autonomous cars are operated by centralized services (Uber/Lyft/...), then they can offer cheaper rides if you are willing to share a car with different peop

If autonomous cars are operated by centralized services (Uber/Lyft/...), then they can offer cheaper rides if you are willing to share a car with different people. Especially when congestion is at its worst, chances of matching people with the same destinations are also the best - the daily morning jam on highways is mostly caused by people driving alone in their cars. Why not share 90% of the way with X other people, if it lasts only 2 minutes more for changing from/into a small first/last-mile vehicle. And why not deploy lots of small buses which carry 10+ people through the congested areas? This could even be encouraged by lawmakers; but I think this group rides would be so much cheaper that many people would use them whenever possible. Just like you don’t use your car if you live next to a subway and your destination is also right next to a station.