Siemens Mobility, a unit of Siemens AG, said it entered an agreement with Bytemark to launch what it calls the first publicly-managed payment platform for a shared public and private mobility service, which is part of a Smart City initative in Columbus, Ohio. 

Users will only need to make a single payment through the Smart Columbus trip planning app, which will automatically route portions of the unified payment to the right platform. The platform will manage payment for a range of services, including taxi fares, public transit and shared mobility services including ride sharing, e-scooters and bike sharing. 

"They are working together to develop a payment solution enabling riders to pay once for a trip across the city using multiple public and private modes of transit, from buses to scooters," a spokesperson for Siemens told Mobile Payments Today via email. 

The program is part of a larger Smart City initiative in Columbus, which is designed to help reduce traffic congestion and improve the regional transportation system. 

Cover image: Siemens Mobility