P.E.I. LCC teaming up with Cloggeroo to provide shuttles to and from concert site

Concerts and alcohol are a common mix. So when the Cloggeroo folk festival runs Aug. 10-12 in Georgetown, P.E.I., a plan will be in place to get concert-goers home safety.

The P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission is helping with the cost of renting two vans that will take people to and from the concert site, with the hope of preventing drinking and driving.

"The local RCMP detachment and, we know, the town of Georgetown will be very supportive of this initiative, and we were only too happy to come on-board," said Jamie MacLeod, the liquor commission's director of corporate services.

Shuttles will run all day and all night

In recent years, the PEILCC has helped in a similar fashion with the Rock the Boat music festival in Tyne Valley, P.E.I.

On the Friday and Saturday of the folk festival, the shuttle service will run from noon until 2 a.m., MacLeod said.

Less is planned for the Sunday, so the vans will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day.

A map of the shuttle route will be available at the waterfront stage main entrance, according to the festival's website. Along with designated stops, the vans will also drop people off at their campground, hotel or cottage in the area.

'Keeping our community safe'

"It's keeping people who are potentially impaired off the roads, keeping our community safe and hopefully ensuring there's not only no accidents, but no deaths on Island highways," MacLeod said. 

"So people can come, enjoy the festival and still get there safely and get home safely as well."

We try to have funds available where we feel they're worthy of approval from our office, and this is certainly one of them.— Jamie MacLeod, director of corporate services, PEILCC

Cloggeroo organizers are responsible for the van service and who will drive them, MacLeod said.

"I know in the past they've had different people driving them, including local fire department people. They're all well-trained and qualified."

Cloggeroo to feature 18 acts

The commission sets aside "a fairly substantial amount of money" each year for things like Cloggeroo, Rock the Boat or other initiatives.

"We try to have funds available where we feel they're worthy of approval from our office, and this is certainly one of them," MacLeod said.

The assistance offered to Cloggeroo will cost in the range of $1,200 to $1,500, he said.

Cloggeroo will feature 18 bands or artists from the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario, featuring the likes of Rose Cousins, Slowcoaster, Grand Theft Bus and the Rubber Boot Band.

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