The Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand the operation of low-floor buses to provide better transportation accessibility for the disabled, the elderly and mothers with children, officials said Friday.

A low-floor bus has no steps by the doors, allowing easier access for disabled passengers and those with children. The city currently has 2,225 low-floor buses, accounting for 30 percent of the total. The city plans to increase this proportion to 55 percent by 2017.

The city also plans to operate a location tracking service for passengers with disabilities so that they can let bus drivers know when they are waiting at a stop. The service will help prevent situations in which drivers fail to see disabled passengers, officials said.

Pedestrian accessible signals will be installed at more than half of the crosswalks in the city for the blind or visually impaired. Only 44 percent of crossings currently have them.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)