Moroccan Activists Launch Petition Against Daylight Saving Time

Rabat – Moroccans seem to be tired of “springing forward” and “falling back” because of Daylight Saving Time. A group of activists launched a petition asking the Executive to abolish the bi-annual time change altogether.

This year again, many voices are being raised to appeal the Executive’s decision to switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST). In a petition launched on the Avaaz website, activists have called on Prime Minister, Saad Eddine El Othmani, and the Parliamentary Council to keep with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

The signatories want the government to issue a law that would suspend the bill implementing DST indefinitely, sticking to the GMT timing “appropriate with the country’s geographical location throughout the year.”

Critics of the bill explained that following DST can cause many health problems such as fatigue, anxiety and a disruption in the biological clock.

“This timing causes high workplace accidents, increases stroke by 8 percent and seizures and heart attacks by 25 percent, as well as energy consumption,” the petition noted.

Petitioners stressed how DST can affect children, as they’re unable to adapt quickly to the new schedule: “It causes them poor concentration, which affects the cost-effectiveness of their studies negatively and affects their immune system.”

The petition also noted how many countries have tried DST and abandoned it due to its damaging effects.

The addition of 60 minutes to the Kingdom’s time in almost six months of the year is a tradition practiced by the government since 2008. For the Executive, DST has a “positive impact of economic activity” as it reduces “the difference in timing between Morocco and economic partners.”

The government also based its decision to adopt DST on the reduction of energy consumption at peak hours, allowing for a mitigation of the state’s expenses.