Transport Policymaking against COVID-19 and Future Public Health Pandemics: A PASS Approach

The novel coronavirus outbreak of 2019/2020 (COVID-19) has had wide-reaching and unprecedented impacts on the transport sector over the whole world. At present, there is no globally-agreed timeframe for when this pandemic will end. It is necessary to figure out how to address the current and near-future potential impacts in a relatively comprehensive and seamless way. Here, the author proposes a PASS (P: Prepare–Protect–Provide; A: Avoid–Adjust; S: Shift–Share; S: Substitute–Stop) approach for policymaking against COVID-19 and future public health threats. First, the PASS approach is illustrated conceptually, and then policy measures are recommended by referring to the past and ongoing best practices. Finally, policymaking challenges and research issues are discussed.