Organisers of the Undie 500 are calling on Dunedin bars to be more responsible hosts this year to help avoid the student chaos synonymous with the event in recent years.
The 2006 and 2007 rallies, and an unofficial event last year, all descended into disorder, with dozens of arrests at street parties in the North Dunedin student area and the Fire Service being called to many illegal fires.
University of Canterbury Engineering Society president Carl Shrimpton believed this year's event would be far more community friendly, with help from local bars.
"I would expect people [students] to stay off the streets and visit the various licensed premises.
"We encourage these licensed premises to have live music, free food and similar incentives to help confine and control the level of drinking."
Organisers hoped to change the focus of the event by scheduling it away from the August university mid-semester break to ensure less drunken behaviour, and also asking participants to bring cans of food with them for food banks.
Students driving their under $500 vehicles loaded with food cans, would leave Christchurch at 12.30pm on Friday, September 11, travel to Dunedin and deliver the cans to the food banks before beginning a weekend of socialising.
Up to 1200 students were expected to participate, he said.
"We will make our expectations of participants clear before the charity drive.
"I would expect the good behaviour, as we have seen in the past, from participants on their way to Dunedin. We will give the police looking after the run down to Dunedin a chance to speak to and express their expectations of the participants.
"I am not expecting disorder. I am expecting a positive event with a renewed focus," Mr Shrimpton said.
Organisers planned to take a tougher stance on disorder by locking participants' vehicles away until Sunday lunchtime, and punishing those who engaged in anti-social behaviour or broke the North Dunedin temporary liquor ban.
Miscreants would be banned from licensed premises and supermarkets on their return to Christchurch, he said.
