The tow-truck taxi: Cab firm will take home drinking drivers.. and their vehicles tooBy Daily Mail Reporter
A taxi firm is offering an unusual door-to-door service in a bid to cut drink-driving over the festive season.
In what is thought to be a national first, Aristacars is offering to tow home cars for motorists who have had too much to drink.
The company has bought a low-loading recovery vehicle that people can hire to get them and their vehicle home safely.
National first: Aristacars bosses Matthew and David Bowker are offering to tow home cars belonging to motorists who have had too much to drink
The venture has been welcomed by Wigan Council, and bosses Matthew and David Bowker have also received a dispensation from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency because usually such trucks are only allowed to tow broken-down vehicles.
The scheme is aimed at a driver who might drive into town for a night out with the intention of staying sober then either changes his mind or has his drink spiked.
For a call-out fee of £15 Aristacars comes along, puts the car on the back of the truck while the motorist and one other passenger get in the front with the driver.
The customer is then charged a taxi fare on top of the call-out charge.
The Bowkers are not sure how popular the scheme will prove, but say the modest outlay is better than an automatic ban for drink-driving.
Other schemes are in existence around the country, in which drivers, insured for all vehicles, come to the customer on a fold-up bike, drive them home with the bike in the boot and then head back on their bike afterwards.
But as far as the Bowkers know, the 'tow-truck taxi' is the first of its kind in the UK.
David said: 'We have had this idea for about a year, but it takes quite a while to sort out and it seemed a good idea to launch it around the festive season when there is always a big anti-drink-driving campaign.
'It went down very well with the council's licensing committee and we have drawn other positive comments too.'
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