Beijing taxi drivers face a lifestyle makeover before the Olympics that will mean the beginning of regular baths.
Under the new regulations, which came into effect last month, drivers whose cabs are smelly will be suspended for two days while they undergo "rectification and reform" guidance, the Beijing News said.
Cabbies who spit or smoke, and female taxi drivers who sport big earrings or radical hairstyles, will also be banned under rules aimed at improving the city's image ahead of next year's Olympics.
Beijing's taxi drivers, who typically earn around 1,500 yuan (NT$6,453) a month, often sleep, eat and smoke in their vehicles.
"Many drivers pay no attention to appearances," Yao Kuo, the head of the transportation management office, was quoted as saying.
"Their mouths stink of garlic and their bodies smell, making the whole cab foul. It creates a bad impression for the taxi industry."
Yao said that outrageous dress styles were now also off limits for drivers of the 70,000 cabs on the streets of the Chinese capital.
"As a service industry, taxis have to think about appearances," Yao said.
"So from now on dying hair a bright red or yellow and [having] weird hairdos is banned."
Shi Xiangpeng, a top political advisor visiting from Hong Kong last month, complained bitterly about the odor of Beijing's taxis.
"Sometimes I could smell an unbearable stink once I got into the cab, but was afraid of being too rude to get out immediately," he was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.
"A smelly cab, though a trivial thing, may impair the country's international image when Beijing hosts the Olympic Games next year, as it's not polite to the guests," he said. (AFP)
1. rectification n.
改正 (gai3 zheng4)
例: After the document had been proofread it was sent back to the printers for rectification.
(校對後的文件被送回印表廠行修正。)
2. sport v.t.
展示 (zhan3 shi4)
例: He sported a pink dinner jacket and a yellow bow-tie.
(他身穿一件粉紅色晚禮服和一件黃色蝴蝶領結。)
3. typically adv.
典型地 (dian3 xing2 di5)
例: Taipei's weather is typically wet in June.
(潮濕是台北六月標準的天氣。)
4. trivial adj.
瑣碎的 (suo3 sui4 de5)
例: Which dress you wear is a trivial matter. Let's be on time!
(你的穿著不是重點，我們準時赴約吧。)
北京計程車司機的生活方式將在奧運前徹底改頭換面，這表示他們得定期洗澡。
「新京報」表示，根據上個月生效的新規範，車內有異味的計程車司機將被罰禁行兩天，同時接受「糾正」輔導。
為期能在明年奧運前改善市容，吐痰或抽菸的駕駛和戴大耳環或剪誇張髮型的女計程車司機都將被罰。
北京計程車司機的月收入通常在一千五百人民幣（新台幣六千四百五十三元）左右，睡覺、吃飯和抽煙都在車上。
報導引述北京市運輸管理局副局長姚闊的發言表示︰「很多司機不注重儀容。」
他表示︰「他們嘴裡都是大蒜味，身上也有異味，整個車內臭氣熏天，造成整體計程車業的負面印象。」
姚闊表示，現在北京街頭七萬輛計程車內的司機也不能穿誇張的服飾。
姚闊表示︰「身為服務業，計程車司機得想想外觀的重要。」
他說︰「所以從現在開始，禁止把頭髮染成鮮紅或黃色，以及剪奇怪的髮型。」
上個月從香港來訪的高層政協委員施祥鵬尖酸地抱怨北京計程車的異味。
新華社引述他的發言表示︰「有時我一上車就會聞到無法忍受的異味，但是怕馬上下車又太沒禮貌。」
他表示︰「雖然車內有異味只是小事一件，但明年北京舉辦奧運時卻可能損害到中國的國際形象，因為這對賓客來說不禮貌。」
（法新社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
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