Operation Red Nose won’t operate in Surrey, Langley this holiday season

LANGLEY (NEWS 1130) – Those planning to use Operation Red Nose (ORN) to get home from Christmas parties this holiday season, may want to check twice to see if it’s operating in their area, after the announcement that the popular driving service won’t run in Surrey and Langley this year.

The Langley-based gymnastics group that operated the by-donation driving service and recruited volunteers wasn’t able to commit this year, and Operation Red Nose said it’s too late to find a replacement.

“Operation Red Nose is offered to the community, by the community and therefore, we need to have a local non-profit to organize the campaign locally – which we do not have for Langley-Surrey,” ORN spokesperson David Latouche said.

Service in other Metro Vancouver communities may still travel into Surrey and Langley, but it could be spotty.

The news is disappointing to anti-drinking and driving advocates like MADD, who say it is another service, like ride hailing, that is sorely lacking in some communities.

“It takes a lot of organization, money and time. So some company like Uber or Lyft or whatever is available in ride share has been successful. I’m not sure why we don’t have it here yet though,” Greater Vancouver MADD spokesperson Bob Rorison said.

He said organizing a ride program like ORN is beyond MADD’s capabilities or scope, as the group wants to focus on awareness and victim support.

ORN will operate in 11 other BC communities. Latouche said it is not uncommon for them to lose and gain organizers and ORN is confident it will find another group willing to step up in Surrey and Langley for next year. Any non-profit interested in participating in the 2018 campaign can sign up on the ORN website.

ORN service will begin on Nov. 24 and runs until Dec. 31.

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