The Seoul city government said Monday it will expand the operation of late-night taxis and extend the operation hours of buses until the year-end to meet the surge in demand from year-end gatherings.

The city plans to supply 1,000 additional night cabs and set up temporary taxi stops in four locations with high demand for the services, including the Gangnam and Jongno districts.

A total of some 160 personnel from the city and taxi industry will be deployed to the taxi stops during the remaining Fridays of the month and on Dec. 19, to help passengers catch cabs from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Ride-hailing platforms will offer incentives to taxi drivers to encourage them to work during peak times at night, and taxi companies vowed to arrange for drivers to do late-night shifts first.

The city also plans to crack down on taxis that deny accepting passengers, demand unjust fares, or operate personal vehicles for transportation in return for money.

In addition, the operation hours of buses in the city's 11 downtown areas will be extended to 1 a.m. from Dec. 16 until the year-end, and 28 more intracity buses, which operate from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., will be deployed from Dec. 17. (Yonhap)