Public getters/setters are bad if they provide access to implementation details. Yet, it is reasonable to provide access to object's properties and use getters/setters for this. For example, if Car has the color property, it's acceptable to let clients "observe" it using a getter. If some client needs the ability to recolor a car, the class can provide a setter ('recolor' is more clear name though). It is important to do not let clients know how properties are stored in objects, how they are maintained, and so on.
