Andorran Taxi Drivers Appeal Expulsion from ATA Over Uber Use

Three Andorran taxi drivers expelled from the Associació de Taxistes d’Andorra (ATA) for operating alongside Uber have lodged an internal appeal with the association’s board and intend to take the matter to the Batllia, focusing primarily on regaining access to the mandatory single reservation centre rather than the expulsion itself.

Their lawyer described the suspension of centre access—imposed just two hours after the expulsion vote—as a serious breach of ATA statutes, which allow appeals with suspensive effect. Access was only restored following a formal warning. The drivers also allege unequal treatment, pointing to ATA’s deal with CityXerpa while sanctioning Uber use, and claim other members have collaborated with rival VTC platforms without facing discipline. A fourth driver, who uses vehicles owned by the others, is not participating in the appeal. Sources near the drivers expect little from the board and see the step as a prelude to court.

The centre, launched on 1 April by ATA, ATI, and CityXerpa, now integrates over 90% of drivers—more than 2,500 bookings in its first eight days, including Easter, with smooth operations via phone and WhatsApp. Apps including Taxi Andorra and CityXerpa are slated for around 15 April, though not all ATA members have signed on.

At a joint press event, Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Transport and Mobility David Forné, ATI president Armand Godoy, and CityXerpa CEO Bernat Altimir hailed the digital shift. Altimir noted the near-100% transition from analogue exceeded expectations and outpaced international benchmarks. Godoy called it a radical but positive change, with drivers agreeing it should have happened sooner, boosting daily efficiency and potentially attracting foreign users. Forné described the absence of complaints as a strong sign, resolving past service failures.

Forné, who met the expelled drivers, told them they acted hastily with Uber and urged the three or four holdouts to drop it as the coherent choice. He outlined forthcoming VTC rules by month’s end, mandating all licensed taxis join the single centre, barring free circulation outside it, and prohibiting combined taxi-VTC operations, dual signage, or simultaneous services on the same vehicle. Private VTC work remains possible outside taxi hours with separate vehicles. Uber, he stressed, is not a taxi reservation system, and the sector lacks maturity for integration. Godoy reported rapid progress toward merging ATA and ATI within one or two months. No ATA comment was available.