Taking hold of the wheel and gearing up for the road ahead

Driving a car in Beijing will seem unnecessary to many foreigners. Ride-hailing and bike-sharing services add to an expanding public transport system, racing to cater to the capital's residents who are constantly on the go.

So my decision to get a Chinese driver's license raised more than a few eyebrows.

"Why do you need to drive?" asked many of my friends. The city's roads can be daunting for green motorists, they said, with traffic congestion still very much a part of urban life.