Police said drinking establishments in Hilo and Kailua, Kona plan to distribute coupons for free taxi rides so customers don't drink and drive, especially during the holidays.

The Hawai'i County Office of the Mayor, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Impaired Driving Task Force, the Police Department, the Department of Liquor Control and the Mass Transit Agency have teamed up to provide 500 coupons, which the Department of Liquor Control will pass out to bars and nightclubs.

Despite the giveaway program, individuals who plan to drink at a bar over the holiday weekend should not count on getting a free coupon. They should make other arrangements in case the bar they plan to visit runs out of coupons.

"Shared ride" taxi coupons are available for purchase all year long at the Mass Transit Agency, 630 E. Lanikaula St., Hilo or at the Downtown Improvement Association, 329 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo.

The coupons are subsidized by the county, allowing the taxi companies to receive reasonable payment for providing cab rides while giving the customer a reduced rate. The most economical package is a booklet of 15 coupons for $30. There are booklets with 10 coupons for $20 and 5 coupons for $15. One coupon is good for four miles of travel and two coupons are good for nine miles of travel, provided the travel is within urban Hilo or Kailua, Kona. Any distance beyond what is covered by the coupons must be paid for in cash.

Eight taxi companies are participating in the program. They are, in Hilo, Ace One Taxi, Ali'i Taxi, Bay City Taxi, Bobby Taxi, Hot Lava Taxi, Marhysa's Taxi and Percy's Taxi and, in Kailua, Kona, J & A Taxi.

For more information about purchasing discount taxi coupons, call the Mass Transit Agency at 808-961-8744.

The free coupon distribution evolved from strategies developed by the Impaired Driving Task Force, a coalition of government agencies, community organizations and victim support groups dedicated to helping reduce injuries and fatalities on Big Island highways.

Police said it only takes two to three drinks to exceed the legal limit of 0.08 percent blood alcohol content.

For more information about the impaired Driving Task Force, call Coordinator Dieter H. Blattler at 808-961-2226.