BEIJING (AP) - Beijing's beleaguered taxi drivers, pressured to learn English and clean up their cabs in the run up to next year's Olympics, have another job to do: fight drugs.

Drivers who provide key information in drug cases could receive rewards of at least 2,000 yuan (US$270), the state-run China Daily newspaper reported Thursday.

“Taxi drivers have more opportunities to meet drug users than ordinary people. We can greatly expand anti-drug scope and prove efficiency with their help,” Che Kejian, an officer with the drug control department of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, was quoted as saying.

The city of 17 million has 67,000 taxis and at least 100,000 drivers, the newspaper reported. It said all of the city's taxis would be furnished with anti-drug brochures.

The newspaper said the Beijing municipal government began to recruit anti-drug volunteers last year and how has 14,485 working in 30 teams across the city.

Taxis drivers have been placed on the frontline of a manners campaign by the municipal government, which is trying to ensure next year's long-awaited Olympics come off perfectly with 550,000 foreigners expected to visit.