I am a German student studying in Maastricht but living in Aachen. Furthermore, I do not get the Dutch OV-card, with which Dutch students can travel free of charge during the week or during the weekend. However, I am gravely dependent on daily bus travel with the bus company Veolia from Aachen main station to Maastricht main station (there is no direct train connection). Recently, the Veolia raised its prices. Before the price-increase, the price for a day ticket (always valid only after
9:00 in the morning) was 5,00€. Now, Veolia committed a discrimination. Passengers who want to have a day ticket and travel from Aachen to Maastricht and who want to get back to Aachen later the day have to pay 7,00€ for an ‘international’ connection. The normal day ticket costs after the price-increase 5,50€. You can buy it also in Aachen on the bus and get to Maastricht with it. But you can only travel into the Netherlands and not the way back to Aachen, only to Vaals (which is approximately 15 minutes from Aachen main station). How this can be allowed? From my point of view, this is a clear discrimination. Even worse; it is totally to the disadvantage of German students from Aachen who are studying in Maastricht.