Remember the Beijing 'straddle bus' video that showed plans for a tall bus that regular traffic could pass underneath of? We marvelled at the impressive 3-D modelling and the designer's faith in his idea, but in our heart of hearts, we accepted that it would probably never happen.

That is precisely why we almost choked on our pitta when we saw this article in the Global Times, where it is reported that actual trial runs of the project will begin before the year is out, on a six-kilometre stretch of road along the West Sixth Ring Road in Mentougou district. It's looking like this renewable energy-powered beast is becoming a reality.

Admittedly, looking at the video, we find it difficult to believe that the project is not going to end in large casualties. It depends heavily on the safe and regulated activity of normal traffic, which Beijing is not known for, particularly when it comes to turning corners. This article spells out our skepticism pretty neatly. However, we're not yet ready to abandon hope that this idea may just be crazy enough to work.