Free St. Patrick's Day Taxi Rides Offered in Montgomery County

BETHESDA, MD — St. Patrick's Day is, arguably, as much about drinking and the parties as it is about celebrating your Irish heritage, real or imagined.

If you choose to drink Thursday, designate a driver or call for a free ride from the Washington Regional Alcohol Program. The service is available in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, along with many Virginia suburbs.

WRAP's 2016 St. Patrick's Day SoberRide program will be offered from 4:p.m. Thursday, March 17, until 4 a.m. Friday, March 18. To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $30 fare), call 800-200-8294 (TAXI). You must be 21 or older to use the SoberRide service.

Important note: All requests for SoberRide service must be called to and dispatched from 1-800-200-8294. Do not call a taxi company directly for SoberRide service as the ride will not be covered under this program.

General SoberRide Information:

WRAP's SoberRide operates during the December/January holiday season, St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and Halloween.

The program provides a free cab ride home up to a $30 fare. Callers are financially responsible for anything over $30.

All Maryland calls must originate in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, or the cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt and Takoma Park.

SoberRide is also available to partiers in the District of Columbia; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Eastern Loudoun counties in Virginia; and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park.

You cannot reserve a SoberRide or schedule a pickup in advance. To receive a ride, you must call 1-800-200-8294 (TAXI) during the program hours. A SoberRide call operator will direct your request to the correct participating cab company.

Participating Taxi Companies

• Barwood, Inc. (Montgomery County)
• Silver Cab of Prince George's County (Prince George's County)
• Alexandria Yellow Cab (Alexandria)
• Fairfax Yellow Cab (Fairfax County)
• Loudoun Yellow Cab (Eastern Loudoun County)
• Northern Virginia Checker (Prince William County)
• Red Top Cab Company (Arlington County)
• Yellow Cab of District of Columbia (District of Columbia)
• Yellow Cab of Prince William County (Prince William County)

When waiting for a SoberRide, watch for a cab from the participating taxi company in the area from which you are calling.

Source: Washington Regional Alcohol Program