The Ghana National Fire Service has raised concerns over the obstruction of access routes within the Kasoa New Market, warning that it is affecting emergency response efforts.
Speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam on Adom TV, a Public Safety Education Officer, Ernest Amoah, said pavements originally created to allow easy movement within the market have been taken over by traders.
“The pavements meant for access have been occupied by the market women, making it difficult for us to reach fire scenes and even move our vehicles during emergencies,” he said.
According to him, although traders temporarily clear the pathways during engagements with officials, they often return shortly after to occupy the same spaces.
He explained that this has made it difficult for firefighters to access certain parts of the market during emergencies.
Ernest Amoah noted that during fire outbreaks, officers struggle to trace the exact source of the fire due to blocked pathways.
He added that even moving fire service vehicles through the market has become a major challenge, further delaying response time.
He warned that unless the situation is addressed, it could worsen the impact of fire incidents in the market.
