Principal Luc Brémault (left) and the co-ordinator, François Grenier.

The number of people using Operation Red Nose in the Southeast has doubled again.

The free chauffeur service is offering rides home to people all around Steinbach and La Broquerie. Gil Gauthier has been volunteering with Operation Red Nose as a driver and on the board and he says it's been a lot of fun.

"Initially it was a bit intimidating for our groups, because we were handed binders, rules, regulations, vests, flash lights and these big, big packages of information. Once we broke into smaller groups; we all kind of took our little piece of it. It's been very manageable and since the minute we started driving, the very first call we got we were having so much fun".

He adds that he and his wife volunteer with another couple so the four of them just tour around the area giving people a safe ride home.

A safe ride home is exactly was MPI is encouraging people to do this holiday season. Recently they released statistics that includes one in three deaths on Manitoba roads involved an impaired driver. On December first a new provincial law came into place that puts convicted impaired drivers five levels down on MPI's Driver Safety Rating.

Luc Bremault is another volunteer with Operation Red nose and he says calling for a ride is very easy all they have to do is call the dispatch at 204-424-9555 and they will send drivers to the location for as many people as needed. This includes drivers and escorts who will drive your vehicle home as well.

The service runs until January and is available every Friday and Saturday night.