Time to dust off the Mercurius database

By increasing the chance of catching drivers who infringe the law, safety on our roads will improve. This can be done by making more use of digital applications, says the N-VA, such as the Mercurius database, which contains all driving licences. “But the deadline gets postponed again and again,” the N-VA notes. “It is high time that the government finally got working on it.”

Following a number of fatal traffic accidents in the dark month of December, traffic safety is once again high up on the agenda. This is more than justified. “After declining for many years, the number of traffic fatalities once again increased in 2019. Vulnerable road users in particular seem to be extremely at risk,” says the N-VA. “We will only succeed in reversing the trend by significantly increasing the chance of catching drivers who infringe the law. And today’s digital applications and technological tools can play an important role in this regard.”

Database with all driving licences

The Mercurius database is precisely one of those tools as it contains the details of all Belgian driving licences. Thanks to the database, the police can easily look up whether a person’s driving licence has been confiscated. The project dates from as long ago as 2011, but has still not been completed. “Minister Bellot was unable to tell me how long we would still have to wait for the database. He passed on this issue that nobody wants to touch to his colleague Pieter De Crem,” the N-VA says. “Discussions like that are no help to anybody. It is high time that this government proves that it is not a government of matters that stay on the back burner.”