Uber launches Uber Comfort service in Andorra

Uber began operating in Andorra today, launching its premium Uber Comfort service across the Principality at 10:00 and putting a small fleet on the road that the company plans to expand in the coming days. The initial contingent of about ten vehicles is expected to grow to around twenty; Uber says all cars will offer onboard Wi‑Fi and show closed, upfront fares typical of its Comfort tier.

The company said the Andorra operation will be run from Spain and will use locally licensed VTC vehicles provided by partner fleets and drivers rather than cars owned by the platform. Uber has said the launch was supported by six investors, three Andorran and three foreign. It also announced a deal with eSIM provider Firsty that will let visitors without a local data connection install a free eSIM to access the app while in the country.

Uber said it intends to integrate with Andorra’s mobility network and position itself as a long‑term partner for the taxi sector. Felipe Fernández Aramburu, Uber’s general manager for Spain and Portugal, has pointed to the company’s existing work with taxis in Spain—where it says some 5,000 taxis use the platform—and to cases in which drivers combining app bookings with street hails see higher revenues. Uber also said vehicles on its platform are monitored and that it investigates and takes action if it detects passenger movements without an active trip on the app.

In the coming weeks the company plans to add Uber Van, a van option for up to six passengers aimed at groups, families and airport transfers; Uber says such services can be more economical when costs are shared among occupants. The firm expects to introduce other standard‑booking options after assessing initial demand.

Uber’s arrival has accelerated moves among Andorra’s taxi operators and the authorities. The government has required the sector to create a single, digitalised central dispatch (centraleta digital), and the country’s two main taxi associations—the Association of Andorran Taxi Drivers (ATA) and the Interurban Taxi Association (ATI)—are working, with differences, on how to meet that requirement. Talks are under way about possible commercial arrangements with third‑party platforms such as CityXerpa and TaxiMés. CityXerpa has proposed a model in which drivers pay a monthly fee (reported at €140) for access to its booking app and standardised services, claiming such a setup could raise drivers’ income substantially; discussions are ongoing and no final agreements have been announced.

Authorities and drivers say the changes aim to make the sector more competitive, particularly given Andorra’s strong seasonal tourist flows that produce demand surges. Government officials have said they will continue to work on regulatory matters related to on‑demand passenger transport. For now, Uber Comfort is the only option available across the Principality while the unified digital dispatch and any commercial deals with private platforms remain unsettled.