E-scooters are now allowed in Waterloo region. Here's everything you need to know

E-scooters can now legally zoom through Waterloo region.

As of Friday, the electric vehiclesare allowed on select roads and pathways owned by the region and the main urban cities: Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo.

The major transportation change, supported by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, is paving a way for a future rideshare system.

"We want this to be something that makes sustainable transportation the easy choice for residents, makes it easier to think about leaving the car at home or choosing not to purchase a personal vehicle and making trips in the community by bike or by e-scooter," said Kevan Marshall, a principal planner with the region's transit services and transit integration group.

In the meantime, here's everything you need to know about e-scooters: Where you can ride, rules on the road andwhat happens if you violate a rule.

Where you're allowed to ride

E-scooters are permittedon all region and city roads with multi-use paths, such as paved asphalt paths next to the roadway or reserved bike lanes.

They're also allowed on region and city roads that don't have multi-use paths, provided those roads have posted speeds of 50 km/h or less. E-scooters have to stay to the right as much as possible.

They are also allowed on many multi-use trails,including the Iron Horse trail.

E-scooters aren't allowed on sidewalks or high speed roadways that don't have adjacentmulti-use paths or bike lanes.

Rules for e-scooters

The Ministry of Transportation doesn't require people over the age of 18 to wear helmets on e-scooters, however the Region of Waterloo has made it mandatory for all riders to wear a helmet, regardless of age. Riders must be over age 16.

The e-scooter must not have pedals, a seat or basket, and instead have two wheels, brakes and a horn or bell.

It must have at least one white light on the front, one red light on the rear and reflective materials on the side.

E-scooters are only allowed tooperate at maximum speeds of 25 km/h.

A rider is not allowed to carry any other passengers on board or carry cargo.

E-scootersmust be parked in a space that doesn't block roadways,pathways or transit tracks. Locking it up on a bike rack is allowed.

What happens if you break a rule

The region is pushing an awareness and education campaign about e-scooters and their rules, however, if an individual violates one of the rules ofthe road, they may face charges.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is the primary enforcement body for e-scooter rules that fall under the Highway Traffic Act.

Regional or city officials will handle bylaw enforcement, in particular improperly parked e-scooters.

Future of electric vehicles

Right now, the region has partnered with Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo for the e-scooter program. The townships can also choose to implement similar bylaws, but many are choosing to monitor the progress of the regional project first.

"[The townships] will likely follow suit to be consistent region-wide. But that will be something that's effectively like a phase two of this project," said Marshall.

Marshall said the region hopes to launch a shared system for e-bikes and e-scooters later this summer.

"Having an effective and sustainable shared system can be part of the solution to lowering greenhouse gas emission by providing sustainable, low energy transportation options to our community," he said.

The region is set to issue a request for proposals from operators for the shared system that could see up to 850 e-bikes and 425 e-scooters in its first year.