Grant public access to all beaches
Published:Thursday | August 16, 2018 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Hotel owners whose premises are built on local beaches should not disallow the public from entering those beaches. Such entities should have, by law, an alternative route to the beach for non-guests/members of the public.
In the same way that alternative routes are built for members of the driving public who choose not to use the nation's tolled super highways, alternative walkways and driveways should be built for the public to access the nation's beaches.
For those who use the facile, foolish and shortsighted argument that to do so would open those beaches, and the hotel guests using those beaches, to harassers, 'buttus', etc, the same logic and laws that apply to other privately owned businesses should be applied to the beach issue.
As long as proper security exists on hotel beaches, and others adjoining private properties, there is no valid/ justifiable reason why the public should not be allowed to freely access all Jamaica's beaches.
PATRICK GALLIMORE