BEIJING: Foul-smelling taxis will be outlawed in the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympics.
And female taxi drivers have been told that they should not die their hair bright red or yellow – and they should forget the chunky earrings.
Inspectors will do “smell” tests to make sure only the sweetest smelling taxis shuttle overseas guests between Olympic venues, airport and hotels.
Beijing city administrators want to smarten up the cab industry before the Games begin.
Yao Kuo, vice director of the Beijing municipal transport management bureau, said it had devised a 12-item evaluation chart for taxi services, the Beijing News said.
Cab drivers should not smoke while driving, overcharge, spit or litter. They are asked to dress in neat, clean clothes and to be friendly and polite.
Drivers who repeatedly fail to use meters or refuse to pick up passengers will lose their licences.
“Some drivers don’t care about their appearance and this has a negative impact on the whole industry,” Yao was quoted as saying, adding that some drivers didn’t brush their teeth after eating garlic.
“Female drivers must not wear big, chunky earrings or dye their hair odd colours like bright red or yellow, and male drivers should not wear their hair long,” said Yao.
