It's better for some metrics - number of passengers moved per vehicle, fuel efficiency etc. What it isn't optimal for is getting from origin to destination wit

It's better for some metrics - number of passengers moved per vehicle, fuel efficiency etc. What it isn't optimal for is getting from origin to destination without walking and without waiting. If I am carrying heavy/bulky things or I am less mobile than average, walking to the nearest public transport stop isn't great, and every change of transport is painful. Waits are also long basically anywhere that isn't the center of a densely populated city, and add up with every change of vehicle. Eventually, a public transport based solution to travel ends up using "find ways to travel less" as a component. The existence of direct door-to-door transport with cargo space, however it is achieved (cars, self-driving, carshare, taxis...) is needed to close these gaps, and therefore I do not see it ever going away. Societies need to make the other forms of transport attractive enough that, given access to direct door-to-door transport, they still remain a viable choice.