For people looking to wet their whistles in celebration on New Year’s Eve, Lawrence businesses are banding together to make sure 2008 starts off right.

An alcohol counseling service, DCCCA Inc., is leading the charge with a program called Tipsy Taxi, which provides free and safe transportation for revelers who do not want to risk driving home.

Eighteen local businesses, including bars, health care providers and local taxi service Ground Transportation, are supporting the annual program, which begins at 10 p.m. Monday and lasts until 3 a.m. Tuesday.

To travel free of charge, riders must request a Tipsy Taxi when they call for a cab; in addition, riders must be destined for a residential address within Lawrence city limits. Taxis will transport riders from any destination in Lawrence, but the free taxi service does not apply to patrons who request rides to bars.

This is the 24th year DCCCA has overseen the program, said Chrissy Mayer, prevention specialist with DCCCA.

Reynaldo Puentes, who owns Ground Transportation, said he is expanding his fleet to 15 vehicles to accommodate the unusually busy night. He said his company has participated in the program for the past seven to 10 years.

The service is a way for local businesses and bars to serve their patrons in more ways than one, he said.

“I think they got involved for two different reasons. One is it’s good for the bars and the companies. They’re doing something for the community,” Puentes said. “The other is to keep people safe. Besides making money, they’re thinking about people, keeping them safe.”

Rick Younger, owner of Rick’s Place, 846 Ill., said his bar has participated in the program for several years.

“A lot of times it saves people,” Younger said. “This way you’re not dead in a ditch, you haven’t killed anyone.”

A National Traffic Safety Administration report released last year said that more American adults die in alcohol-related traffic crashes on New Year’s Eve than on other midweek winter evenings, making the holiday one of the deadliest of the year.

Puentes said New Year’s Eve is one of Ground Transportation’s busiest nights. He urged people to stay at their pick-up point until their taxi has arrived.

“People need to have patience. The main thing is if they have patience, it will work out better for us. A lot of time they call the taxi company (which arrives to find) they just left,” Puentes said. “It’s not like a regular day. We get backed up to 45 minutes to an hour.”

Tipsy Taxi can be requested by calling Ground Transportation at 842-TAXI.