Company and Police Offer Free Rides Home on New Year’s Eve

Dana Distributors and local law enforcement will offer free rides to bar patrons across five Hudson Valley counties this New Year’s Eve, a move aimed at cutting impaired driving and keeping roads safer in Orange County and neighboring communities. The Alert Cab program will provide free taxicab trips within 10 miles or Uber rides reimbursed up to ten dollars. Rides will be available beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31 and will run until 4 a.m. on Jan. 1 in Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland and Sullivan counties.

Participating bars will display flyers with QR codes that partygoers can scan on their phones to access the service, a simple point of entry that organizers expect will make last minute plans safer and reduce the temptation to drive after drinking. Organizers say they will cover the cost of the rides under the program, and they added that Alert Cab will also be available on Super Bowl Sunday for the first time, expanding the program beyond New Year’s celebrations.

Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta praised the initiative, noting law enforcement support for private sector efforts to prevent crashes and arrests. He said, "There are many excuses I’ve heard in my 30-plus years from intoxicated drivers. Those excuses won’t turn back the embarrassment of an arrest or worse, loss of life. We in law enforcement salute Dana Distributors for continuing efforts to provide this service."

For local residents this program lowers a common barrier to safer choices on big party nights, by removing out of pocket cost as an obstacle to taking a cab or ride share. Economically, the initiative shifts a modest transportation expense onto a private company while potentially saving the community larger costs associated with DUI arrests, emergency responses and court processing. Bars that promote the program also reduce the reputational and legal risks tied to patrons leaving intoxicated.

The QR code system and the limited subsidy per ride mean the program is best suited for short trips home or for riders near participating venues. Still, for many Orange County households the service offers a tangible, no cost option to avoid driving after drinking on two of the calendar year’s busiest nights for impaired driving.