THE EDITOR, Sir:WEDNESDAY WAS a beautiful day in Montego Bay and I had the good fortune to play a round of golf at the Wyndham course with some friends, after which we enjoyed a cold beer and then proceeded back towards Montego Bay where I live, at about 6:30 p.m.
All was well until we reached a point just beyond Sandals Royal where at no great surprise to me, the traffic was backed up bumper to bumper, heading towards Montego Bay. Forty-five minutes later, we finally negotiated the Flankers area and proceeded to my destination. This was on a lovely sunny day. On rainy days, which are frequent, it can take up to two hours to pass this section of the highway.
Apart from the great inconvenience and frustration that this causes us locals, every tourist heading east from the airport, which constitutes the vast majority, has to be subjected to this mind-boggling first impression of Jamaica and it absolutely amazes me that this situation has been allowed to exist for so long in spite of the fact that many prestigious hotels are affected by the terrible condition of this road.
Hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon, Wyndham, Holiday Inn and Sandals employ thousands of staff, pay billions of dollars in taxes, spend billions of dollars on local goods and services and this is the thanks they get.
The diabolical condition of this road at Flankers must be fixed.
I am etc.,
JAMES SNEAD
Gloucester Avenue, Montego Bay
