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City Hall acted like 'travel agency' for Boris bike crash aide
Katharine Barney, City Hall Reporter25.09.09
Senior City Hall officials have come under fire for acting like a "travel agency" by intervening to get Boris Johnson's transport adviser out of Georgia after he ran down a pedestrian.
Kulveer Ranger was taking part in a charity motorbike rally across Europe when the accident happened in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, leaving him with bruised ribs, and the pedestrian, a market trader, with a broken leg.
His passport was taken away as he was due to be questioned by police.
But Mr Ranger, 34, did not speak the language and after three days the passport had not been returned, so he called the Mayor's office for help.
A subsequent call from City Hall to the British Embassy spurred officials into action and Mr Ranger was provided with a lawyer and interpreter.
It was then explained to Mr Ranger that he would have to be interviewed by police while witnesses were also spoken to and his passport would be returned in due course.
A City Hall source said: "We just asked for the treatment you would expect for a British citizen. The poor guy woke up in hospital not knowing what was happening. The consulate found out what was going on and explained it to him."
But John Biggs, Labour's deputy leader on the London Assembly, said: "The Mayor's office is not a travel agency for his mates. Not everyone can pick up the phone to the Mayor's top aides when they've got themselves in trouble. I'm sure Londoners would be angry to find out resources were used in this way."
Senior Tory Steve Norris also called a friend said to be linked to Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili to ensure Mr Ranger was being treated properly.
Mr Ranger did not get his passport back until 11 September - nearly two weeks after staff at City Hall had returned from the summer break.
Witnesses told police he had hit the pedestrian, but no evidence was given to charge him with dangerous driving.
The transport adviser, who has been riding for only one year, was not using his normal Honda CBR600F for the rally but borrowed a bike from BMW.
Unfortunately for the manufacturers, the bike remains in Georgia.
Reader views (7)
What a lot of hot air and nonsence. If you're stuck in foreign country without your passport and don't speak the language you may very well call your employer to let them know the situation. Any decent employer - whether city hall or a private company - would naturally contact the emabassy for you because that's what colleagues do.
This is a poor attempt at political points scoring by Biggs and the labout group.
- Nigel, London
Accident! Transport advisor! Most of us aren't that. In the public eye you either tread very carefully or face the consequences. Most Brits in difficulties abroad contact their Consul as first port of call. Either they or family go through the channels to arrange lawyers and translators.
- Gillian, London
I take no sides on who should run London, but it seems to me this guy just asked for the help he was logically entitled to if the Foreign Office is to justify its existence. OK, so the rest of us wouldn't get it - but that's the real scandal, not the fact that this guy did. A few years ago I had my wallet nicked on holiday and got sent by the Consulate in Marseille to their outpost in Nice to see if they could help: having spent my last few pence on the phone call (they wouldn't reverse charges) and hitch-hiked a long way with several trucks then walked the rest in boiling heat, drinking from fountains designed for dogs on the way, when I got to the address . . . I found a Florist's shop! They didn't have an office in Nice.
- Roz, France
City Hall must be closed Tax Payers found these Bureacrats.
Incidentally Boris Johnson ,decided not to abolish the Western Extension Zone,not for an environmental criteria,but for revenue,why are passengers having to pay for this Man s over inflated ego
- Barry Deane, Richmond, United Kingdom
So he used whatever connections existed to get help. We would all do the same.
- Trunk, US
If I had my passport taken away in a country where I didn't speak the language I might well phone work colleagues to try to help me. What's the problem ?
- Roy Grainger, London
Deja Vu? Keith Vaz was embroiled in a notorious case last year. He ended up on the wrong side of a Judge for trying to intervene on behalf of a very wealthy Russian woman who was charged with injuring someone when driving. As a Transport official, Mr Ranger should not even have attempted to get strings pulled on his behalf. Road accidents are serious problems, and costly to the taxpayer wherever they occur. Importantly, the victim should receive primary focus, not the rich or powerful.
- Geoffrey, London
