A sober driver is someone who comes to you and drives you where you need to go in your own car. Unlike a taxi, your car doesn’t stay outside the restaurant or a friend’s place overnight: in the morning it’s parked at your home.
Some people call it a designated driver service, others a “driver on call”. The idea is the same: you’ve had a drink, and a sober, experienced driver takes the wheel.
How do I call a sober driver?
Call +995 597 333 200 and say where you are and where you’re going. Within about 2 minutes the operator connects you with the nearest free driver, who sets off straight away.
- You call and give the address.
- The operator tells you the price: 40-50 GEL within the central districts, distance-based elsewhere.
- The driver arrives, takes the wheel of your car, and off you go.
- At your home, the driver parks the car, hands back the keys and leaves.
No app, no sign-up, no card to link. One call is enough.
What should I tell the operator so the driver finds me quickly?
The exact address and one landmark: the name of the restaurant, the entrance, the parking level. At night, when every street looks the same, this saves minutes.
A few details that help:
- Where the car is parked. Underground parking, a courtyard, the other side of the street. If you and the car are in different places, give both addresses.
- Which car it is. Make and colour. Automatic or manual makes no difference: our drivers drive both.
- Who’s coming along. If friends need to be dropped off on the way, give their addresses too, so the price is worked out in one go.
- Keep your phone handy. If the driver needs directions, they’ll call you.
Why not just take a taxi?
A taxi takes you home, but the car stays behind. Then you have to go back for it in the morning, often with a headache and when you’re in a hurry to get to work.
With a sober driver, those two trips become one. The car doesn’t spend the night on the street, and you don’t have to fetch it in the morning. If you went out without the car, a taxi is perfectly fine. There’s more on this in Sober driver or taxi.
What’s the risk if I drive after drinking in Georgia?
The mildest penalty is a 6-month suspension of your driving licence, for more than 0.3 per mille of alcohol in your blood. Above 0.7 per mille, or if you refuse the test, it’s 1 year. That’s what Article 116 of the Code of Administrative Offences (in Georgian) says.
A repeat offence brings a 2,000 GEL fine plus administrative detention. If there’s even a minor accident, the fine is 2,000 GEL and your right to drive is suspended for 3 years. The full list is in our article on drink-driving penalties in Georgia.
One call costs far less than half a year without a car.
What are my options when I’ve had a drink and the car is with me?
Realistically, four. One of them is against the law, and the other three each have their pros and cons:
| Option | Car in the morning | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Drive yourself | At home, if you weren’t stopped | Licence suspended for 6 months to 1 year, risk of an accident |
| A sober friend drives | At home | The friend must not drink; handing your keys to someone who has been drinking is a 1,500 GEL fine |
| Taxi | Outside the restaurant or on the street | Going back in the morning, sometimes still not sober |
| Sober driver | At home | Only the price of the trip |
The fine for handing your car to someone who has been drinking is in Article 115¹ of the Code (in Georgian).
How much does a sober driver cost?
A trip within the central districts of Tbilisi costs 40-50 GEL. In other districts, the suburbs and out of town, the price depends on distance. Either way, the operator tells you the exact amount on the phone, before the driver sets off, so there are no surprises on the way.
Dropping a friend off on the way or stopping at a shop doesn’t change the price. It only changes if the route ends up nothing like the original one. Details are in our article on sober driver prices.
Where do you work?
In every district of Tbilisi and the suburbs: Vake, Saburtalo, Didube, Gldani, Varketili, Isani, Digomi and more. Trips out of town are possible too, by prior arrangement.
If you’re out of town late at night, say in Tskneti, Kojori or near Mtskheta, call and the operator will tell you when a driver can get there.
Old Tbilisi and Sololaki, Chavchavadze Avenue in Vake, Rustaveli, Vera, the restaurants of Saburtalo, the areas around Lisi Lake and Turtle Lake: wherever your evening ends, a driver will come.
Who will be driving my car?
Our drivers are people with many years of experience behind the wheel. They drive both automatic and manual cars. We’ve been doing this since 2015 and have seen a great many different cars and situations along the way.
The drivers are friendly and easy-going, the kind of people you have a calm ride with. And whatever happens or is said in the car stays in the car: confidentiality is a matter of principle for us.
When is it worth calling?
When you catch yourself thinking “it was only two glasses, I’ll be fine”. That’s exactly the moment. Also:
- after a supra, a birthday or a work party;
- on the way home from a wedding (we have a separate service for that, booked in advance);
- when you’re very tired and don’t want to drive;
- when you’ve taken medication that slows your reactions.
More examples are in When to call a sober driver.