technically companies today don’t have to always prioritize profit. they just have to follow the orders of the shareholders, and most for-profit investors are gonna demand that profit be maximized.

if you have a company but it’s 51% city-owned then it doesn’t have to maximize profit. the city can set its own goals, such as selling a certain number of items at a certain maximum price or opening up a grocery store in food deserts. public transport is typically a city-owned company, yet prioritizes availability over profit.