As you read this a whole month of the New Year, 2022 would have passed. Nevertheless, I still take this opportunity to wish you all Happy New Year! May the new Year relieve us all of the burden of the pandemic of the past two years and, brings happiness and good health for all of us.

It is an honour and privilege for me to be ‘talking’ to you all as the newly elected President. It is also a new chapter in the life of PIARC. A newly elected President and leadership team (ExCom) with fresh collective ideas and goals; for the advancement of matters related to road infrastructure and road transport. I undertake to ensure that PIARC continues to explore and take on challenges such as finding sustainable solutions for climate change, rural development, improvements to urban mobility and helping low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) realize their full road infrastructure potential. Furthermore, we will continue to share our collective knowledge and experiences with society.

My best wishes to immediate past President, Claude Van Rooten, who ably steered the PIARC ship through the stormy Covid waters. Also, my sincere thanks to the Secretary General, Patrick Malléjacq, and his team for the manner in which they adapted to the new working requirements including the stability they provided during this time. Last but not least, my appreciation to all the members of the various technical committees and task forces for their dedication and services to PIARC.

This unwelcome ‘guest’ Covid has deprived us of meeting in person but not away from each other – virtual meetings in a manner of speaking kept us in touch. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you virtually and look forward to meeting you at some stage in person …. fingers crossed!

I invite all colleagues on the ExCom (leadership team) to please fully participate in deliberations that will take place and contribute to the decisions that will be made. I trust the decisions will be taken collectively with the wider interests of PIARC’s members always borne in mind. Please feel free to contact me at any time you wish – text me, email me, call me for a chat.

The invitation to contact me is extended to the broader PIARC family to make suggestions/offer advice – all are welcome, nazir.alli@piarc.org.

I am confident that better times lie ahead of us and, that collectively we will continue to shape PIARC into the premier organization in the World that society looks to for leadership for matters related to road infrastructure and road transport.