A local taxi driver went missing early last Thursday, raising fears that he could be the latest victim of a series of crimes involving cab drivers.

Zhao Gang, the 44-year-old taxi driver, set out to cruise the streets of Shenyang on January 11, but never returned. His red Jetta taxicab has not been seen since. People assumed he had been robbed, and his brother called the police for help on Friday.

Zhao's disappearance follows the murders of two other taxi drivers, while a third driver's throat was nearly cut, all within the span of about two weeks.

Local police have urged taxi drivers to be vigilant against violent crime, particularly since Spring Festival is just around the corner.

A senior official at the Shenyang Public Security Bureau surnamed Cui said the Liaoning Provincial traffic department had informed all police to be on the lookout for Zhao and had called for strict inspections at all highways checkpoints.

"We have tried our best to find Zhao as soon as possible," said Cui.
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No sign of him had turned up as of yesterday afternoon, and most local taxi drivers said there was little hope he was still alive.

"Safety is everything. I'd rather earn less and not risk my life," said Lu Yong, a local taxi driver who has been ferrying passengers around the city for about a decade. "No other precaution is as important as using your own judgment," said Lu.

He said drivers should carry little cash and refuse passengers who are not able to provide a final destination. He also called on the local public security bureau to provide security training to cab drivers.

Liu Yang, an official at the Shenyang Public Security Bureau, said police had been investigating the crimes and were planning to implement a series of measures aimed at stopping criminals from targeting taxi drivers, including the installation of electronic security systems in taxi cabs and sending more police officers out on patrol.

Since the end of last year, local traffic police have worked with the Liaoning Tianyuxing Company to develop an electronic security system for the city's 17,000 cabs.

Under the system, taxi drivers can apply to install video cameras, a global positioning system and a Liquid Crystal Display in the rear windows of their cabs.

The cameras will be linked to a city-wide network. Once a driver activates the alarm, the system will send both robber's image and the car's position to the police within 10 seconds.

"Our system will deter robbers because they will not be able to escape," said Sun Xingjie, general manager of Tianyuxing Company.

The company said more than 10,000 taxis, or about 60 percent of the city's cabs, have installed the system in the past month.

(China Daily January 16, 2007)