Richard Spencer on a radical 12-point initiative to clean up Beijing's taxi drivers

Already under fire for smelling of garlic, spitting and threatening Beijing's Olympic image, the Chinese capital's taxi drivers have now been told what to wear and when to wash.

A new 12-point code of conduct was published by the local government recently, giving advice ranging from hair colour to personal hygiene.

It includes a warning that they will be suspended for two days if their cabs are considered to smell too much, and that they should avoid a "weird" appearance.

"Female drivers must not wear big, chunky earrings or dye their hair odd colours like bright red or yellow," said Yao Kuo, deputy head of city's traffic management bureau.

"Male drivers should not wear their hair long."

Taxi drivers are in the firing line on both fronts of a new etiquette revolution in China.  On the one hand, the country has become fed up with its reputation as the worldwide home of spitting, filthy toilets and an inability to queue.  Chinese tourists form another group regularly targeted with advice on how to behave when travelling abroad.

On the other is an obsession that Beijing must not allow the country to lose face during the Olympics.

The most direct attack on taxi drivers came during the annual session of the National People's Congress, the parliament, last month when a Hong Kong delegate estimated the number of "smelly" cabs at 60 per cent.

Mr. Yao has accused many taxi drivers of not brushing their teeth after eating garlic.

"Some drivers don't care about their appearance and this has a negative impact on the whole industry," he said.  "Their mouths stink of garlic and their bodies smell, making the whole cab foul.  It creates a bad impression for the taxi industry."

Some of the new guidelines are a reiteration of existing regulations; repeatedly failing to use the meter, or being accused of failing to pick up waiting pedestrians, could lead to the licence being revoked.

Others answer last month's complaints directly: drivers are banned from smoking, or littering and should dress in "neat, clean, clothes.