Andorra Extends Bus L7 to Ordino, Sparking L3 Frequency Cuts Dispute

The Andorran government has extended bus line L7 to Ordino to meet citizen demands, requiring Coopalsa to redistribute existing resources across the national network without adding vehicles, services, or funding. This has led to reduced frequencies on line L3, according to drivers and the operator, though government spokesperson Guillem Casal insists no such impact exists on L3 or L4.

Changes took effect Monday. Coopalsa told the Andorran News Agency (ANA) it executes government instructions on schedules, providing data on routes and needs but leaving final timetables to executives. "We carry out what we are instructed to do," the company said. No contract changes occurred, and the fleet remained unchanged.

Drivers explained the L7 extension adds roughly 14 minutes per round trip—seven minutes each direction—forcing a full rescheduling. They reported L3 departures from Andorra la Vella now at 15:10, 16:10, and 18:10, with peak uphill trips shortened by 10 minutes from the usual one hour and 10 minutes, resulting in fewer overall services. Workers in Canillo must wait for the 23:40 night bus to the capital, often affecting parents with children. The adjustment revives coverage previously handled by L6.

On L7's first afternoon runs Monday, early trips carried passengers, but after 20:00 usage fell sharply—one inbound to Andorra la Vella and none outbound. Drivers criticized cuts to northern routes with stronger demand. App users faced glitches in the Mou-te update, struggling to locate L7 schedules initially. Coopalsa said impacts are confined to L3.

Casal rebutted driver accounts Wednesday, stating adjustments responded to public requests, were "discussed, agreed, and accepted" by Coopalsa based on shared data, and doubled Ordino's services from three to six. "Neither L3 nor L4 are affected in terms of service quantity by the L7 changes," he said, questioning ANA sources and citing executive data showing no disruptions.