DC directs to slash bus fare
Transport department public contact meeting
Mangaluru, July 24: Taking exception to the unilateral decision of the Dakshina Kannada District Bus Owners Association to increase the bus fare without taking permission from the District Transport Authority, Deputy Commissioner and Authority Chairman Sasikanth Senthil directed the association to slash the bus fare increased by it.
Responding to the public grievances at a public contact meeting held at the Transport Department here on Tuesday, Transport department deputy commissioner (incharge) John Miskith said that the Bus Owners Association had increased the bus fare without getting the permission from the District Transport Authority and listening to the public opinion and gave an advertisement in the newspapers in last April. They were collecting more fare from the passengers. As he has received public complaint against this practice, it was brought to the notice of the Authority Chairman. Following this, the Chairman had served a notice to the Association. Against this, the association had appealed to the State Transport Authority which sought clarification from the district authority. In view of this, the district Authority has cancelled the decision taken by the association unilaterally and instructed the association that fare hike or decrease should be discussed in the Authority meeting and decided. The association was also asked to respond to the notice within three days. If the order was not honoured, the Authority would take action against the Association, he said. .
Some of the participants Jerald Towers Kadri, Dinesh Shetty, Naizil Albukark and others raised the issue of harsh horn and tickets were also not issuing. If asked, the bus operators give reasons. Some time, they miss the regular routes and run the buses, they said demanding action.
But Misquith assured of taking action if particular route and bus names were given.
Some buses which come from other places were given permission till Kottara and Infosys and it should be extended to Kottara Chowki. If the buses stopped at Kottara- Infosys, it would cause inconvenience to the passengers, said Chandramohan.
Cancel seats reserved for women
Social worker BS Hasanabba said that the authority should cancel reservation of seats for women in buses, because, even if the seats were vacant, women occupy the seats of men. Moreover, the women who sat on the seats reserved for senior citizens would respond indifferently when they were asked to shift to their seats. Bus conductors should insist the women to sit in their reserved seats. If not, the reservation of seats for women passengers should be cancelled, he demanded.
Kannada board demanded
Majority of the vehicles including buses have been using English boards. So, the owners of the vehicles should be directed to write in Kannada, said GK Bhat.
John Misquith said that such problems were there because of shortage of sufficient staff in the department. The department was trying to solve majority of the problems, he said.
Appreciating his work, Bhat said that after taking over the charge, he was working for the people. But previous officials were behaving like the agents of the private bus owners. You were against to such culture. So, take stringent action against the bus staff which violate norms, he demanded.
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Pizza Hut China debuts unusual bullfrog pizza, sparking mixed reactions online
Beijing : Pizza Hut China has taken a bold step into culinary experimentation by introducing a limited-edition pizza topped with deep-fried bullfrog, a move that has garnered both curiosity and criticism online. The unconventional dish was first highlighted by global food trend expert David Henke, who shared a photo of the new menu item on X (formerly Twitter), noting the diverse protein preferences in different cultures.
The pizza, known as "Goblin Pizza," features a thick crust, red sauce, a layer of parsley, and a whole deep-fried bullfrog as the centerpiece. The frog's "eyes" are created with halved hard-boiled eggs, each topped with a black olive, making for a visually striking presentation. According to Korean news outlet Maeil Business Newspaper, the unusual offering is a collaboration with Dungeons and Dragons, inspired by a character from the game.
Details about the availability of this new creation are limited, with no specific information provided on Pizza Hut’s official website. However, the quirky menu item has already become a talking point on social media, drawing a mix of reactions ranging from shock to curiosity.
On Reddit, a photo of the pizza was shared, fueling further debate. Some users labeled the dish as “pure blasphemy,” while one user went so far as to say, “This pizza is a felony.” Another asked, “Why ruin a pizza like that?”
Not all feedback was negative; one commenter admitted that while the frog might be off-putting, they'd be more accepting if the pizza underneath was satisfactory. Another joked, "You can ribbet this right into the garbage."
Amidst the critique, there were voices of intrigue. One foodie defended the dish, saying, “Fried frog legs are so good! Maybe next time, shred the frog leg meat and add it to the pizza—that would be pretty good.”
