Older and disabled people are taking far fewer bus journeys than other passengers relative to pre-COVID bus usage; the number of concessionary journeys by older and disabled passengers is 29% lower than before COVID. The Department explained that fare paying passenger journeys are nearly at pre-COVID levels. However, because concessionary journeys make up a high proportion of total journeys, the total number of journeys is 9% lower than before COVID.57 We asked the Department to explain why older and disabled passengers had not returned to buses after COVID. Despite a growing population of people eligible for age-related concessionary 50 Q 53 51 Q 5 52 C&AG’s report, para 3.12 53 Qq 68-68 54 Qq 3, 5, 11 55 Q 11 56 Qq 3, 37 57 Q 9; C&AG’s report, para 1.9 and Figure 1 15 travel, fewer people are taking up their passes. The Department outlined some anecdotal evidence on changes to travel patterns it has observed since COVID-19 but could not assure us that reduced bus usage by elderly and disabled people is a genuine choice instead of exclusion due to accessibility issues.58