Office parties are back and will keep driving service Nez Rouge busy this weekend

Driving service Nez Rouge is expecting this weekend to be the busiest of the holiday season and it's all thanks to the return of the office party.

Last year, the organization had to cut its season short because of COVID-19.

"Typically, there are two weekends that are going to be really, really busy and for us, it was last week and this week because there are a lot of office parties," said Julie Martineau, program coordinator of Nez Rouge.

"We’re going to be multiple calls from one single location from many different people. And people also giving lifts to their friends so one call, four drop-offs," she explained.

With partying and gatherings back in style the service has registered more than 11,000 rides in Quebec since its first week in operation on Nov. 25.

Nearly 10,000 volunteers have helped people get home safely when they're intoxicated or too tired to drive, but Nez Rouge said it can always use new volunteers. It's a challenge every year to ensure they have adequate staffing levels to keep the operation going, Martineau said.

Nationwide, the response has been impressive so far with 50,000 people stepping up to help.

The organization will continue to take calls until the New Year weekend.

The service is free for users but people are encouraged to donate with the money going to non-profit organizations.

There are several ways to book rides. You can go on the group's website, and enter your address to find the number you should call for your region.

The number in the Montreal area is 514-256-2510. You can also download the Nez Rouge mobile app.