About 200 years ago, the economy of MONSTRU collapsed.
Bankers lost millions as folks walked away from bad debt, and businesses failed at an incredible rate. The AUTHORITY helped, where it could, but there really wasn't much they could do about the entire collapse of the economy. Most essential businesses were nationalized and swept into the AUTHORITY.
Autos stopped being produced. Everybody lost their job (except the CrowBots) and were forced to migrate from place to place, looking for opportunity or odd jobs.
It was a bad time, and it's just getting started.
The economy has never picked up, though most people utilize the widespread road-based Black Market.