New Chairman of TfL to be Tim Parker

***GLA Press Release***

Mayor appoints First Deputy Mayor
22-5-2008 261

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is delighted to announce that Tim Parker has agreed to become First Deputy Mayor and Chief Executive of the GLA Group. The Mayor will also nominate Tim to be Chairman of Transport for London from 1st September 2008.

Read the rest of the release here.

Who is the Lone Ranger?

One of the first appointments to BoJo's new team was 32 year old Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor's Director for Transport Policy.

Kulveer, who starts his job on the 27th May, is tasked with:

• providing policy advice and direction
• setting priorities
• and taking decisions relating to transport issues on behalf of the Mayor.

In return he is to be paid the princely sum of £100k a year.

In the release announcing his appointment much is made of Kulveer's previous roles introducing Oystercard (five years ago) and leading "commercial negotiations on behalf of the Secretary of State to support the King’s Cross redevelopment and the procurement of a £70m Thameslink station".

Whilst this is all most splendid The Fact Compiler has to admit that nobody in London transport circles has ever heard of Kulveer.

Even allowing for the fact that he is "Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party" it does seem perhaps a little high risk to entrust London's transport policy and direction to such a virgin in the field.

Whilst The Fact Compiler will watch the "Lone Ranger's" progress with interest he understands that the railway's very own Sergeant Garcia, Crowbar Bob of the RMT, is awaiting their first meeting with some anticipation.

Hi Ho Silver, away!