I drive a cab in a city about as small as you can get and still count as a city, and we have some deals with places like the local senior center and the hospital to give rides that they cover the cost of either for free or with a tiny copay. It's definitely helpful for a lot of people, and I'd love to see more funding for that sort of thing.
It can be tough for people in areas that aren't densely populated enough to support more robust transportation services. It ends up getting a lot more expensive, but it's really a necessity. Uber and Lyft barely have a presence out here, and in some of the more rural towns there's no way you're getting them out that far. We'll do it, but it costs a lot more to drive way out of our normal area.
Forget trying to get around on a bus unless you're going to a pretty central location. Even then, they're always playing catch-up and the schedule is largely out the window. I get it, though. I like driving a cab, but I'd never drive a bus. It seems like a huge pain in the ass and a massive liability. Vans are kind of perfect.