Traders at the infamous Tiptoe Lane have begun returning to the popular business area after a fire outbreak razed down several shops and destroyed property worth thousands of Ghana cedis.

The area; just beneath the footbridge, was earmarked for demolition to make way for ongoing construction works on the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.

But it was not bulldozers which destroyed the busy section. Instead, a fire which started last Friday at about midnight, blazed through several stalls and shops which had been closed for the day.

Fortunately, no casualty was recorded as a result of the accident. 

JoyNews’ Francis Abban reports the traders as saying they have lost thousands of cedis and are desperate to restart their lives.

However they are unprepared to relocate to other, less controversial locations anytime soon.

The traders decried the loss of their investments and indicated a fervent need to reclaim their sources of livelihood, as most had secured loans to purchase the items stocked in their shops and would need to repay them.

Others expressed concern also over the loss of income which they were depending on in order to celebrate during the festive season.

Traders and hawkers at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange are no strangers to dislocation. The area has been marked for demolition on several occasions but the stubborn traders always manage to make swift returns.

The situation is no different this time, it seems, come bulldozers or fire; Tiptoe Lane is here to stay.