British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has featured Nigerian-born TikTok star Bemi Orojuogun, better known as “Bus Aunty,” in a campaign promoting lower bus fares across England.

Burnham featured the social media personality while announcing a £2 cap on single bus fares on Wednesday, July 22.

The policy will take effect on January 1, 2027, and remain in place until the end of the year.

In a video shared during the announcement, Burnham copied Orojuogun’s familiar content style by holding up a phone while a bus moved behind him.

“For too long, people said it is not possible to reduce bus fares. Well, we showed everybody in Greater Manchester that it is possible. And today, I am taking the £2 fare cap national,” Burnham said.

He then invited Orojuogun to join him, describing her as the right person to support the campaign.

“Who better, though, to endorse this policy than a special guest?” he asked.

Orojuogun appeared and jokingly told him, “Oh, Prime Minister, you’re stealing my job!”

Burnham responded by declaring the policy “endorsed by Bus Aunty herself.”

Orojuogun praised the decision, saying, “It’s a fantastic idea. Thank you so much, Prime Minister.”
The £2 cap will apply to bus services across England outside London, which operates a separate fare system.

Single bus fares are currently capped at £3 until March 2027. However, the new policy will reduce the maximum fare to £2 from January and keep it at that level until December 31, 2027.

The government said the measure could reduce some fares by up to a third and help millions of passengers struggling with rising living costs.

It added that some passengers, especially those travelling on rural and coastal routes, could pay more than £10 for a single journey without the cap.

The plan will receive more than £400m in extra funding for England. The figure rises to £454m when funding for the devolved governments is included.

The money will come from a review of spending within the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, including funds previously planned as grants for international climate projects.

Burnham introduced a similar £2 fare cap in Greater Manchester while serving as the region’s mayor. The scheme has operated for four years under the Bee Network, the region’s locally controlled transport system. The UK Government said the national policy would give passengers easier access to work, education and healthcare.

Orojuogun became an internet sensation in 2024 through videos showing her standing on London pavements while red double-decker buses passed behind her.

The 56-year-old mental health nurse usually holds her phone and smiles at the camera without speaking, allowing the passing buses to provide the action.

Some camera angles make her appear dangerously close to the road, raising concerns among viewers. However, Orojuogun has explained that she records safely from the pavement and uses camera positioning to create the effect.

One of her videos, filmed near a bus stop in Greenwich, attracted more than 48 million views. By September 2025, she had gained nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok.

Orojuogun, who moved to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s, has said her love for London’s red buses developed over the years.

She once named the number 115 as her favourite bus because it takes her from home to work. She also enjoys sitting upstairs, where she can view the city during her journeys.

Her online popularity has secured collaborations with brands and organisations including Transport for London, Ikea, JBL, Jacquemus and Burberry.

She appeared in Burberry’s 2025 “Back to the City” campaign alongside musician Jimothy Lacoste and models Nora Attal, Reuben Bilan-Carroll and Libby Bennett.

Orojuogun has also appeared with London Mayor Sadiq Khan in a campaign marking the introduction of 2,000 zero-emission buses in the city.