Sudbury partiers will have to wait for New Year's Eve rides

Drivers across Sudbury are preparing back-up plans for getting home safely after New Year's Eve parties.

There are many options available to ensure people aren't drinking and driving, but demand for those services is expected to be very high.

With temperatures plunging outdoors, many New Year’s Eve revellers won't be able to walk home from parties and clubs downtown, as many did last year.

Sharon Flinn, the head of Lockerby Taxi, said this will put a lot of pressure on cab drivers. The company is putting 30 to 40 per cent more cabs on the road, but there is still going to be huge demand.

"It's very, very busy. People are very demanding that evening,” she said.

“There are people who don't normally take a taxi who are surprised to wait time is 30-35 minutes."

An alternative that many Sudburians take advantage of is Operation Red Nose.

Customers who have had too much to drink can have a driver take them home in their own vehicles.

The president of the Sudbury branch says the organization has already given 1,500 Sudburians a ride home this December. New Year's Eve will be a challenge, Lesli Green said.

"It also is a difficult evening for us. We're a volunteer organization. But I always encourage everyone to have an alternate besides Operation Red Nose."

The wait for a Red Nose service can be over an hour on New Year’s Eve, Green said.

Green encourages anyone going out to plan ahead and maybe have a sober friend or relative ready to drive them home.

"It's been a big year all around. We've exceeded our number with volunteers and the number of rides we have provided,” she said.

“I don't encourage them only to call Operation Red Nose, I encourage them to plan ahead, whether they're calling a friend, calling a cab."