Washington Township, Uber Partner To Offer Residents Free Rides Home On Saint Patrick's Day
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- The pandemic has kept Saint Patrick's Day celebrations pretty low-key for the past two years. But this year, bars are open and eager to welcome the crowds back.
One local town is working with bar owners and other businesses to make sure people get home safe after celebrating.
Washington Township Saves Lives is back. In a partnership with rideshare company Uber, township residents at participating bars and restaurants can get a free Uber ride to their homes in Washington Township.
"It's a terrific program. From the beginning, we knew that this is something we had to bring into the town. We have such a large town, 50,000 people, many, many, many establishments. We're all about safety. That is our number one priority," Washington Township Mayor JoAnn Gattinelli said.
The program, which was tested in 2017 and rolled out on a larger scale in 2018, encourages residents not to get behind the wheel after drinking.
"As a way of community caretaking to try and protect the residents of Washington Township by offering a free service to give residents a ride home from establishments here in town for free," Chief of Police Patrick Gurcsik said.
The cost of the uber rides isn't passed on to taxpayers, in case you're wondering, though it is fully funded.
"It's funded privately through donations," Gurcsik said.
The only rules are that you hail the Uber via the app from a participating establishment and your destination is in Washington Township.
"The app actually has a geo-fence which will surround the town, Washington Township, and allow for those that are an establishment to get a ride home safely," Gattinelli said.
The mayor is confident the program will be as successful as it was prior to the pandemic.
