Adults who want to travel quickly and easily can use Uber, but the service is only available to those who are at least 18 years old. This is about to alter.

Uber has long provided a fast and easy way for adults to catch a ride from one place to another, but the service has been restricted to people aged 18 and up. That's about to change.

Uber announced Wednesday that the company will allow "teen rides" for kids as young as 13, starting on Monday, May 22, in select cities in the U.S. and Canada. The program gives kids the "freedom to request their own rides," Uber says online, noting that parents will be notified every time they do. (The company is also expanding Uber Eats, the service that brings takeout to your door, to teen accounts as well.)

The trips are "destination locked," meaning the driver can't change where they're going once the child is picked up.

Teens will only be matched with highly rated and experienced drivers, the company says, noting that drivers have to undergo a "thorough background check" and are re-screened annually. Drivers can also opt out of the service if they don't want to drive teens alone.

Once a child hails an Uber, parents can track their trips in real-time and contact drivers directly. The rides will have additional safety measures like a PIN verification system and an audio recording option. The teen account is part of a family Uber account, although their account will be converted into a standard account when they turn 18. (Worth noting: Fellow ride-share services Lyft and Hitch still require passengers to be 18 years old to ride alone.)

Uber has framed this service as a way to help parents get kids to activities or sports practices when they're otherwise tied up, but an early commentary on social media has been largely critical. Uber did not respond to Yahoo Life's request for comment.

Pediatric experts are a little wary of the new Uber service. "From a practical standpoint, it's great for the parent or caretaker who is so busy they can't take their child to practice," Dr. Danelle Fisher, a pediatrician, and chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., tells Yahoo Life. "On the other hand, you're now having your child participating in a whole separate business venture and you're not there with them."