Critics call private bus, shuttle services another sign of widening gap in San Francisco

The compact city that inspired ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft is offering a new way to get to work: Fancy $6 big-bus rides with spacious seating, free Wi-Fi and attendants who deliver snacks.

A company called Leap runs morning and evening commutes that follow public bus routes between the tony Marina district and downtown San Francisco. Private shuttle service Chariot operates 15-seat passenger vans over multiple routes at a cost of $3 to $5 a ride.

Fans say the buses and shuttles complement an aging municipal transit system that is unreliable and overburdened at peak times.

Critics say the private rides are just another sign of the growing gap between wealthy tech workers and everyone else in a city where starter homes can easily go for $1 million.