No fool he, cunningly waiting until they'd finished their progress inspection and given a favourable verdict earlier this week.

He's not diving headlong into a fight though, preferring to wait until the Beijing Olympics are over this year. Which gives us time to suggest some more environmentally friendly, alternative transportation plans for the VIP brigade:

• Olympic Pay As You Go Oyster Cards that by 2012 will be able to take you on an almost orbital of the city, courtesy of London Overground, although you'll end up stranded in Kew or New Cross without enough credit to get back to your swanky Travelodge.

• Dodge traffic and elbow obstructions out of the way with a great and Very Important looking way to navigate routes between venues with rockin' roller skates.

• Specially branded pedicabs, powered by representatives from all participating nations who haven't a clue where they're going, for corporate sponsors with bus lane privelige to really arse things up for the everyone else.

• Donkeys. We like donkeys.

Go get 'em, Ken!

London pedicabs in training courtesy of ramon2002's Flickrstream.