When the New Year's Eve bands have packed up and gone home, when the party is way over and when the cleaning crew is trying to vacuum you up along with the confetti in the carpet, who are you going to call to get you home safely in the wee hours of New Year's Day?

Try your friendly local taxi company.

Once again, local cab companies Kachecab and Kostas Taxi offer free rides home for New Year's revelers looking to get home safely -- and without getting a driving under the influence arrest.

Kachecab offers free rides from 7 p.m. today to 7 a.m. New Year's Day between Fritz Creek and the intersection at the Old Sterling and Sterling Highways. Kostas offers free rides 7 p.m. today to 7 p.m. tomorrow so people who have left their cars behind can return the next day -- hopefully sober and safe. Kostas will give rides home 8 miles east and west of downtown.

"It's a little thank you back to everybody for keeping us alive all year," said Kachecab owner Chris Fischer. "It's a good deal. People appreciate it."

"Definitely, we don't want them drinking or driving," said Nick Bairamis, owner of Kostas. "That's the whole idea."

Although police have made one DUI arrest over the holidays, both Fischer and Bairamis said they hope to continue the record of no DUI arrests -- and more important, no alcohol-related accidents -- since starting the program eight years ago.

Cab patrons grateful for the service can tip drivers, both cab owners said. For rides, call Kachecab at 235-1950 and Kostas at 399-8008.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.