Drive to make Beijing taxis smoke-free

Beijing municipal authorities will ban both cab drivers and passengers from smoking in taxis next month in a drive to promote a tobacco-free Olympics.

To raise public awareness of the smokeless cab rule, the Beijing health bureau, Beijing transport administration and Beijing transportation law enforcement general team will jointly launch the "Green Taxi, Smokeless Cabs, Health for All" campaign this weekend.

Local traffic management authorities did not say what sort of punishments people would face for smoking in cabs.