In a bid to thwart telephone deception, Crime Prevention Bureau (CPB) has come up with a novel idea - designing a headrest cover for taxi drivers. The cover has a transparent holder into which a crime prevention information card can be inserted.

Feedback shows this device is well received by taxi drivers because it is environmentally friendly - being able to be reused for other information cards on crime prevention.

For CPB, taxis might be good for disseminating crime prevention messages because many people, following the tricksters' instructions in a hurry, would take a taxi to rush to a place of payment designated by the tricksters, and become victims of telephone deception. The messages help remind passengers to stay vigilant against such crime.

Supported by major taxi associations, a brief ceremony was held at the Fu Shan Road taxi stand on August 24 to distribute the headrest covers to taxi drivers. Mr Yum Tai-ping, Chairman of the Kowloon Taxi Owners Association; Mr Pang Kong-cheung, Chairman of Motor Transport Workers General Union, and Mr Wong Kwong-yip, Chairman of the Incorporated Owners of Tsz Oi Court, lent their support for the ceremony and handed out the headrest covers to taxi drivers, together with CPB Woman Senior Inspector Lau Wai-shan and Senior Inspector Ke Ka-keung from Kowloon East Regional Crime Prevention Office.

CPB Woman Senior Inspector Lau Wai-shan hands out the headrest cover to taxi drivers