Medford Saving Lives Program Offers Free Lyft Rides Home Every Night

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MEDFORD, N.J. (CBS) -- A Medford organization is offering free Lyft rides for those drinking in the township in an effort to save lives.

"There are about 20 establishments in Medford, restaurants and bars, BYOBs. There are pickup points. If you download the lift app, you put in your Medford address, and it knows you are going to Medford. It will tell you what code to enter. And we will pay for your ride home and that is every day from 7pm to 2 a.m.," said Gail Cataldi with Medford Saving Lives.

You can't bar hop with the service. It will only take you to a residential address.

A similar program launched last year in nearby Evesham Township.

The non-profit hopes the program with Lyft in Medford will be successful.

"We are not talking about youngsters here. I think they grew up taking Lyft and Uber. We are talking about the 30 and up crowd who maybe have not been used to that. It's time to get everybody on board with rides home," said Tom DePaulis with Medford Saving Lives.

The organization is able to fund the free Lyft rides through donations, and the biggest donations come from restaurant and bar owners, like Bob Wagner, a managing partner of Braddock's Tavern.

"If I had a dollar for every time I had to put someone in a cab or I had to tell people who are having a great time at night, 'hey you really shouldn't drive,' I wouldn't be here talking to you," said Wagner.

Supporting Medford Saving Lives' program is another way for Braddock's Tavern to promote a responsible drinking at the establishment.