Around 57% of the 9,880 people in the West Flemish city of Kortrijk have voted against the instalment of a monthly car-free Sunday in the city.
Around 64,000 people were eligible to take part in the e-vote in Kortrijk, but only 1 in 6 did so. However, Mayor Vincent Van Quickenborne was satisfied with the voter turnout.
"This is proof that direct democracy works," he told VRT. 72% of voters did so using their mobile phones while the rest used a tablet, laptop or PC.
Kortrijk is the first municipality in Belgium to hold a digital referendum.
The car-free Sunday would have been enforced only in the cycling zone of the city between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
Underground parking garages would have remained accessible and De Lijn buses and taxis would also have had access to the car-free zone.
In the end, 57% of voters voted against the proposal.
"The result is very clear," Van Quickenborne told VRT. "The people have spoken. For them, an annual car-free Sunday is sufficient."
Sheila Uría Veliz
The Brussels Times
