AUSTIN, TX (August 20, 2009) – –  – – Yellow Cab has partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation in an expanded version of the department’s “Drink, Drive, Go to Jail” promotion. The new promotion reminds the public that the safe alternative to driving while intoxicated is to call a taxicab. Using the slogan “Choose your ride,” the campaign features a clever eye-catching image: a vehicle specially wrapped so that the front half looks like a police cruiser and the back half looks like a Yellow Cab.

“We all know that driving while impaired can result in tragic consequences,” said Yellow Cab general manager Ed Kargbo. “Safety officials state that a typical DUI costs about $10,000 by the time the driver pays bail, fines, fees and insurance, even if the driver didn't hit anything or hurt anybody. Clearly, a cab ride home is the better option. As Austin's largest taxi company, ours is the image that naturally comes to mind when one thinks of cabs. We are proud to have a role in helping people make a smarter choice than driving after drinking.”

The “half police car, half taxicab” vehicles will cruise entertainment areas and appear at promotional events.  A press conference and photo shoot will be held on August^th at 10 a.m. at the Long Center.

Street posters featuring the “Choose your ride” theme and vehicle will be posted in bars and entertainment districts. The posters include convenient tear-off slips imprinted with Yellow Cab’s dispatch phone number, to make it easy for people to call a cab instead of driving drunk. The posters encourage planning ahead by designating a sober driver or calling a cab rather than risking arrest or injury to one’s self or others.

A 40-foot banner promoting the "Choose Your Ride" campaign will be on display on the side of the Austin Police Department's building alongside I35. Additionally, outdoor billboards will promote the “Choose Your Ride” campaign in heavily traveled areas.

About Greater Austin Transportation Company

Greater Austin Transportation Company is the parent company of Yellow Cab,  Austin’s largest and most modern computer dispatched taxi fleet.  Serving the Austin area with high-tech transportation solutions since 1985, Yellow Cab’s taxi service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  All cabs are operated by independent contractor drivers and are equipped with digital cameras as well as a Global Positioning System.  For more information, visit www.YellowCabAustin.com or call (512) 452-9999.

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