Why isn’t public transport used more for evacuations?

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I know the easy answer is politics but it has to be more complicated that that because evacuations tend to involve other things that go against certain politics (like free food and open shelters). And even though somewhere like Florida doesn’t have tons of public buses, it would be logistically relatively easy to redirect the ones they do have plus school buses and private buses that are currently in disuse. Or for Amtrak to send extra trains down there, like cities do for sporting events. I’m seeing a lot of people online who seem like they’d be willing to jump on the first train/bus/plane to literally anywhere. What’s the logic in not making that more available as an option?

I’m using the US but I do feel like it’s not something you see even in general, at least not as much as expected.

Are there more complex reasons that I’m not considering?

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33 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I could think of a few reasons:

Public transport seems to be everywhere because it goes round and round in circles. The actual bus station has a limited number of buses.

Their tanks might be sized to cover one rush hour, and then need refilling at the station.

Mechanically, public transit is notoriously unreliable. Why keep them in tip top shape if they can just sub a new bus in when they need to. Imagine breaking down 30 miles outside of the city you’re fleeing.

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