Crews are busy setting up for Concord’s NYE Vancouver, a massive outdoor New Year’s Eve celebration that is expected to draw thousands of people to the city’s downtown core.
Vancouver New Year’s Eve Celebration Society board member Charles Gauthier said last year’s waterfront party drew up to 80,000 people, far more than the 25,000 that were anticipated. As for this year’s attendance, Gauthier said “the sky is the limit.”
But there are limits when it comes to transportation options. Public transit will be free from 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve until 5 a.m. New Year’s Day, but trying to catch a cab could prove to be challenging. Some Vancouverites told Global News that trying to hail a taxi in Vancouver is “impossible” and “a headache.”
It’s a challenge that many residents are tired of having to deal with.
WATCH: Staying safe on New Year’s Eve
Earlier this month, the city approved nine temporary taxi licences for the busy holiday season, likely not enough to offer much relief.
Party organizers have teamed up with the makers of Flok, an app that links drivers with passengers who are willing to pay to carpool.
“New Year’s Eve is going to be pretty hard to get around and we know how bad the SkyTrain line-up can be,” Flok App co-founder Clio De La Llave said.
“More and more people are deciding to have a designated driver because it is so challenging to get home.”
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Sadly, there are people who choose not to be so responsible when it comes to getting around on New Year’s Eve.
Families For Justice, an advocacy group formed by people who have lost loved ones to drunk driving, want New Year’s Eve revellers to think twice before getting behind the wheel after a few drinks.
Operation Red Nose looks for volunteer designated drivers for New Year’s Eve
“We lost our daughter six years ago to a drunk driver and we still struggle to this day without her, so we want to remind people as New Year’s is taking place to have a plan in place,” Markita Kaulius of Families for Justice said.
One option for getting home safely in some parts of Metro Vancouver is Operation Red Nose. For a donation, revellers who plan on drinking can schedule a pick-up or drop-off and volunteers will drive them and their car home. All funds raised go to charity.
– With files from Nadia Stewart and Julia Foy
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