Patrick and I can certainly attest to the horrifying pollution in Beijing. His sinuses were in constant panic and we all felt the impact of the bad air. This picture was typical of the air in Beijing.

Environmental campaigners say China must overhaul its transport system, not just with a few ad hoc No Car Days but by putting in cycle lanes, reducing the price of public transport and making it much more difficult for people to buy private cars.

The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already warned that if the pollution is bad next summer, some endurance events - such as cycling or the marathon - may have to be postponed.

BBC News –> Asia-Pacific News –> Beijing drivers ignore No Car Day

One of the expatriates with whom we visited in the hotel indicated that it was expected that the PRC would order all government cars off the road during the Olympics and that this was expected to reduce the cars on the road by about 50-60%. One wonders about this expectation in light of the failure of “No Car Day.”