In a measure that would encourage residents of Berlin to take advantage of the city’s transportation offerings, commuters will soon be able to turn to a single app to switch among rental bikes, public transportation, car-sharing and taxis without signing up for the services separately.

The transportation app, called Jelbi, from Lithuanian startup Trafi, is expected to launch this summer and will offer commuters in Berlin a single source for managing the billing for both public and private services including bike and car sharing, buses, subways, trains, trams and taxis in the city. With a population nearing 4 million, the scheme is being launched to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home to prevent traffic congestion while also eliminating the frustration of dealing with several providers at once.

"This goes in precisely the right direction," said Andreas Knie, a mobility expert at the Social Science Center Berlin. "Transport services need to be connected, just like cellphone networks, so you can easily roam from one to another."

Berlin will be the first major European city to get the transportation app. Currently, similar versions of the app are only available in Vilnius, Rio de Janeiro and Jakarta.

For now, it is unclear which companies will offer services under the single app. However, Trafi expects that as the estimated summer launch date approaches, more companies will join.