Operation Red Nose volunteer teams gave 136 rides to P.G. partyers Saturday night, beating out the total number of 131 rides given in its opening 2013 weekend.
On Saturday night ,16 volunteer teams traveled 3,099 km, and Friday 18 teams gave 70 safe rides home and traveled 1,833 km for a two-day total of 206 rides.
"Saturday night we were busy non-stop from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. and most teams did between eight to 10 rides each," said Andrea Johnson, Operation Red Nose spokesperson. "Because of the demand, clients waited as long as 40 minutes for a ride and at one point between 1 and 2 a.m. we were backed up by as many as 20 rides. Not everyone who called received a ride and that's because we didn't have enough teams on the road. We apologize for the wait and to those we did not get to, but we did our best."
Comparing 2013 numbers to 2012 on the third and fourth nights there were 85 and 137 safe rides given respectively, while in 2011 there were 54 and 90 rides provided respectively.
So far in 2013, 337 safe rides have been provided, compared to 344 rides in 2012.
Operation Red Nose is a free, seasonal service organized by the Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako in partnership with the RCMP and ICBC. The team of volunteers bring people as well as their cars home by donation.
The service will be offered this weekend and next as well, with 20 to 25 teams on hand to deal with increased demand.
Those who need a safe ride home can call 250-962-RIDE between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
So far, about 240 volunteers have registered to help Operation Red Nose. Organizers would like about 350 volunteers to deal with the huge demand on New Year's Eve.
Anyone interested in volunteering can visit www.ornpg.ca to apply.
