You may be assuming &#x27;public transport&#x27; =  government-run monopoly transport: government-run services almost never make money, but that&#x27;s not a transportation issue. This econtalk podcast has a interesting discussion about how Chile moved from private to public: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.econtalk.org&#x2F;archives&#x2F;2008&#x2F;07&#x2F;munger_on_the_p.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.econtalk.org&#x2F;archives&#x2F;2008&#x2F;07&#x2F;munger_on_the_p.htm...</a>