Unique London Transport Option: Panda Cabs

© Deste64.

Unique London Transport Option: Panda Cabs

by Jessica Festa

As a cross-promotion with Chengdu, China, Londonis bringing "panda cabs" into the city. The campaign includes 50 cabs painted with "Go Chengdu," the official English tourism website of the Chinese city.

Home of giant pandas, Chengdu showcases their iconic animal on the cabs. While 30 of the taxis are made to look like actual pandas, 20 others are covered in images of the animal. The taxis are part of a summer program themed "Panda Cabs Running For The Olympics."

Explains Go Chengdu in a press release, "Taking the good opportunity of the London Olympic Games, the Chengdu program is aimed to promote global efforts to conserve the giant pandas, one of the most endangered animals on Earth with only about 1600 living in the world, and harmony between man and nature, which echoes the Olympic spirit of unity, friendship and peace."

And, if you'll notice above, even the royal family is helping the cause.

The special cabs, which will circle big name sites like Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly, Marble Arch and Trafalgar Square, will run until August 31, 2012.