You realize that the whole point of self driving taxis is that they are cheaper to run than regular taxis, and that's how they will compete right?
> I used to be but now I see it as a doubling down of car-dependence
Ok, so you just don't like taxis in general then.
That's fine, but it changes nothing about the idea that self driving taxis are strictly better than regular taxis.
> I could see a nasty rebound effect [1] through increased convenience
Oh the irony of this statement.
At the very beginning of you post, you talk about how the benefits of self driving cars are temporary, and yet now you admit that the problem is that they are too good.
I am glad that I have convinced you that self driving cars are such a benefit, such a popular consumer product that everyone will love, so much so that it will cause problems because of just how useful they are!