Drug council finds backers for free NYE bus
(CNS): The National Drug Council (NDC) will be running the Purple Ribbon Bus service this New Year’s Eve from 10pm on 31 December to 3am on 1 January to help prevent drinking and driving after the 2014 New Year celebrations. This year the free bus service is being paid for by Greenlight RE, Jacques Scott Group and Cayman National Bank. This is now the thirteenth year that the NDC has organized the service and partnered with local bars to offer free soft drinks to designated drivers. Over the years, thousands of revelers have used the free bus service on New Year’s Eve, reducing the number of drink driving accidents that may have occurred without it.
The drug council said that while many residents drive responsibly, there are still those who believe they can drink and then drive safely, despite evidence to the contrary. With almost 40 drivers arrested for getting behind the wheel over the limit since the police began their road safety awareness programme, the lack of affordable alternatives when it comes to getting home after a night out appears to be override safety and legal concerns.
“Drink driving wrecks lives, can lead to arrest and imprisonment, loss of one’s driver’s license, and can ultimately be responsible for taking someone’s life,” the NDC said. “The NDC is still seeking additional support to ensure the free buses will be able to operate beginning at 10pm on New Year’s Eve so that the public can utilize this service on Grand Cayman. The goal is to have approximately eight buses from Reid’s Premier Tours running a regular route from West Bay to Bodden Town between the hours of 10:00pm and 3:00am.”
Anyone who wishes to use the service should look for the buses from Reid’s Premier Tours with the Purple Ribbons on the front. The buses will run at regular intervals and will pick up passengers at all major restaurants, bars and nightclubs, or at regular bus stops on the route. The Purple Ribbon Buses will run to East End and North Side occasionally as well.
“We are happy for the support of our sponsors and their pledge of financial support to ensure that the 'Purple Ribbon Buses' are made available again this holiday season,” said Director Joan West-Dacres.
“We encourage others to sponsor this initiative and help the NDC and your communities have a safe and happy holiday season. Each of us looks forward to celebrating the holidays with our family and friends but our celebrations shouldn’t include drinking and driving!! Plan ahead and ensure you have a safe ride home. Remember that preventing drinking and driving is everyone’s business and we all need to play our role,” she added reminding drivers not to drink and drive.
See more details and bus route below
Category: Local News
Here's an idea for aspiring grown-ups: do not set out driving a vehicle if the goal of the evening is to drink to excess. Those are fundamentally incompatible activities. Plan ahead to walk,hire a taxi/driver, call a friend, book a room, take it out of the ample drinking and champagne brunch budget. Know yourself. If this is a regular social ritual, seek help. Drinking to oblivion is a cry for help and leads to certain destruction – will anyone be listening tonight?
Well done to all involved.
Well done indeed. I am surprised it is NDC providing the service. Isn't their message supposed to be Don't Drink.
That’s one happy bus. You sure it’s not high? Looks like a hippy bus, Shaggy’s perhaps? Happy New Year everybody, be safe, always.