Negril wants sidewalks
Stakeholders in the resort town of Negril are once again appealing for the construction of a sidewalk for the pedestrian traffic along the busy West End strip.
West End boasts scores of small hotels, entertainment spots and other tourism-related businesses.
“Negril is called the capital of casual, but visitors cannot walk along the road way because of the danger it poses,” said businessman Ryan Morrison, who has led the call for a welldesigned sidewalk for almost 10 years.
“Right now, a number of small businesses close down because visitors are afraid to walk on the narrow roadway for fear of being struck by motor vehicles. They prefer to take a bus and leave the area, because the authorities fail to respond positively to our concerns,” he added.
Bertel Moore, mayor of Savanna-la-Mar and councillor for the Negril division, told WESTERN STAR that West End was surveyed for the sidewalk to be built at the same time work was being done on the Norman Manley Boulevard, but a change of government saw the plans being shelved.
“Since then we have heard nothing,” Moore said. “In fact, there is a corner called Church Corner, everybody is afraid of it and we have approach the church and they have agreed, but all of this depends on the NWA [National Works Agency].”
Mayor Moore said that the State may have to purchase lands along the roadway in order to accommodate the sidewalk.
“It is the responsibility of the NWA, but it is also not an easy task, because while some of the properties agree, there might have to be some negotiation with other property owners and that might attract additional cost, but something must be done.”