“I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen friends let friends drive home drunk—myself included,” says James Deakin, motoring enthusiast and host of Drive, a show on motoring culture on Solar. “So I asked myself why people do that. It really came down to the fact that while most of them would have happily called a cab, the resistance usually comes from what to do with the person’s car.”
A good friend gets you a drink, but a better friend gets you home safe. Which is precisely why James spearheaded the service Driver on Call, a tie-up with Lifeline Ambulance Rescue. He patterned it after something of the sort in Australia. A company vehicle sponsored by Lifeline Rescue arrives with two drivers—one to drive a client home and the other to follow to ensure both the driver’s and the client’s safety.
Driver on Call has also given way for other similar services as well—including Dial a Driver PH. Along with the service’s success rate is its prevention of around 600 accidents or more. In short, it’s a service that ensures a safe return home for both you and your car—all this without the hassle of calling a cab and getting your car back in the morning.
Driver on Call. (02) 16-911, (02) 839-2520, (02) 839-2530. (0917) 541-6911. The service is subject to a flat rate of 500 pesos within Metro Manila, paid after the trip.
Dial A Driver. 345 El Grande Ave., BF Homes Paranaque City. (02) 775-6101. (0905) 313-4639. info@dialadriver.ph
Source: Yvette Tan for Red Magazine, “Clearing the Road,” August 2014