Mayor Tom Henry on behalf of the local sponsors and organizers announced the 2008 Holiday Cab program will run Dec. 17 to Jan. 3, offering free rides home if drivers have had too much to drink to be able to drive safely.
The free cab rides are available from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. throughout the program. People must call the Holiday Cab hotline, 460-4654, to request a ride. Local cab services will take people home within a 10-mile radius of downtown Fort Wayne. Reservations are not accepted, and the cabs will only take people home, not to another bar or restaurant.
“The Holiday Cab program benefits everyone. It allows people to get home safely especially if they don't have a designated driver, avoiding risk of arrest for drunk driving or the worst result possible: a fatal accident because of too much alcohol,” said Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York.
The program has been offered since 1988. Last year the service provided 142 rides, but has recently averaged 268 rides annually.
The organizing committee consists of Nick Radu, Greg Dahm and Rita Junk. This year taxi companies AAA Taxi, A-1 Taxi, Yellow Taxi Cab, Deluxe Taxi and Classy Chauffeur will provide the rides. The Plumbers & Steamfitters Local #166, UAW CAP Council and Laborer's International Union Local 213, members of the Tavern Owners Association and Anheuser-Busch and AALCO Distributing Co. are this year's major financial contributors. Schaefer's Anserphone provides the dispatch service to coordinate the calls with the rides.
The committee is posting information about the service at local bars and restaurants. The Holiday Cab hotline is 460-4654.