Daylight saving time in Mexico could have its hours numbered if the federal government fulfills its promise to thoroughly analyze whether its application contributes to energy savings or if it can proceed with its elimination so that Mexicans finally forget about the transition between summer and winter time.
The Mexican Time System Law states that any proposal to modify seasonal schedules must be submitted to the Congress of the Union no later than November 15 of the year immediately prior to which it is intended to modify the schedule, that is, the initiative to eliminate the application of daylight saving time should be presented in the coming months if it is desired that citizens are free from it by 2023
Both the Chamber of Deputies and Senators have their second sessions from September to December, so this initiative would have to be discussed and approved with some speed so that the respective decree can be issued no later than December 15, or else the elimination of the controversial one daylight saving time would be delayed until 2024.
It should be noted that the head of the Executive could use his power to send a preferential initiative, which would oblige the House of origin to analyze, discuss and vote on the initiative within a maximum period of 31 days. Once approved, the bill should pass to the reviewing chamber with the same preference.
That is, a bill to eliminate the time change that applies every year during the first Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October, should be submitted in September to meet the legal deadlines that allow Mexicans' watches to no longer be altered by 2023.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's promise that his administration can present this initiative came less than two weeks away before most of the Mexican Republic would be forced to set the clocks forward by one hour during the early morning of Sunday, April 3.
Because the United States is its largest trading partner, Mexico usually adapts its time zones to meet the needs of border customs services and border bridge operations that keep the economic activity of both countries in sync.
That was precisely one of the reasons why in 1996 the Mexican government decided to implement the time change, since until then only Baja California regularly adapted to time changes in the United States.
Following that reason, 33 municipalities on the border strip advance their clocks by one hour in the first month of March unlike the rest of the country, while Sonora does not participate in daylight saving time so as not to affect its commercial activity with the neighboring state of Arizona.
However, the United States Senate unanimously approved this week to abolish the time change and stay with daylight saving time for brighter afternoons, however, the initiative must now be ratified by the House of Representatives.
The measure, which would take effect in November 2023, would make daylight saving time permanent, so that the United States would stop changing the time twice a year.
Should the Democrats support this bill and it is approved in the US, it is possible that Mexico will speed up its discussion to move away from the trade needs between the two countries.
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Yes, Mexico has 4 time zones: the differences between Northwest, Pacific, Central and Southeast time