Taipei - Thousands of taxis in Taipei are now equipped with emergency reporting gear following the grisly killing of a taxi driver by five youths earlier this week, a newspaper said Friday.

The Liberty Times said that several radio taxi companies in Taipei have installed the SOS box beside steering wheels, so that drivers can push the button and call for help if attacked.

As Taipei's radio taxis are already equipped with global positioning systems (GPS), after a driver pushes the SOS button, taxi dispatchers can determine where the taxi is and alert police to the location.

When switched on, the emergency reporting gear can also serve as a microphone so that taxi dispatchers can hear inside the vehicle.

The installation of the SOS gear in Taipei taxis was prompted by the slaying of a taxi driver in Taichung, central Taiwan, the Liberty Times reported.

On Wednesday, five youths - four young men and one young woman ages 15-21 - attacked a taxi driver in Taichung, central Taiwan, and robbed him of 1,900 Taiwan dollars (56 US dollars).

The suspects stabbed the driver 31 times, dumped him in the mountains and drove off with his taxi. The driver bled to death, and police arrested the five youths later Wednesday. (dpa)