In a yet another effort to upgrade the city's image before the 2008 Olympic Games, authorities in Beijing have barred women cabbies to not to dye their hair red and their male counterparts from growing their hair long. The bans on the city's taxi drivers are a part wider effort by the authorities who perceive the Olympic Games as an opportunity to display splendid Chinese culture and its residents' positive attitudes.

In the recent effort, authorities have listed out as many as 12 not-to-do's for the city's cabbies. These include: greeting passengers without politeness, avoid smoking, spitting, wearing heavy and jewelry and brushing teeth after eating garlic among others.

"Some drivers don't care about their appearance and this has a negative impact on the whole industry," the Beijing News quoted Yao Kuo, deputy director of Beijing Transportation Bureau, as saying.

"A person's hairstyle and accessories are their personal business, but cab drivers must remember they are a window for China's capital," Yao said.

Prior to this, authorities had arranged citywide campaigns to curb public spitting, discourage public cursing and littering and also promote lining up by designating the 11th day of each month as anti queue-jumping day.

Last year, the government also launched a "smile" campaign.