Turks and Caicos back to ‘time change’ in November, not this weekend

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – March 8, 2018 – Turks and Caicos not will spring forward with the United States and other countries which mark Daylight Savings Time this coming Sunday March 11, 2018.

Magnetic Media is correcting our earlier report which stated that clocks in the Turks and Caicos should be set forward an hour this coming Sunday. A media released issued by the Government in August had given March 11, 2018 as the date the country would revert to the old system, however, a subsequent amended release gave islanders more time to adjust to the resumption of time changes, and announced the alternative date as November 5, 2018.

It has been viewed as a controversial move by the PDM Administration, but the new government had explained that it was bombarded with requests to revert to the old way of doing things and that their action was motivated by the results of a three-month public consultation which reportedly said  most residents felt it was better to reverse a Rufus Ewing Administration decision.

The Ewing Administration got the measure instituted in Fall 2015, after a delay to the start.  Now, in another twist which some label ‘confusing’ and ‘unimportant’- the PDM is ending the non observance in favor of ‘springing forward’ in March and ‘falling back’ in November.

Ironically, as the Turks and Caicos reverts to the previous tradition of altering time backwards and forwards in observance of DST, the Florida State Legislature has overwhelming agreed that it wants Daylight Savings Time year round.  

In a vote of 33-2, just this past Tuesday it is reported that the Sunshine State is a step closer to living up to its reputation with sunnier evenings, that is, if Governor Ric Scott signs off on the measure.

It is being called the Sunshine Protection Act and even if approved by Florida Governor Scott, would still need congressional approval.

In the Turks and Caicos, the time change reinstatement will go forward – no pun intended – as that Amended Media Release explained, “The public is hereby advised that following extensive consultations across the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Cabinet has taken a decision on July 19, 2017 to reinstate the previous time zone of GMT-5 (which coincides with UTC-5) to take effect from 5^th November 2018.   This will result in seasonal time change to Daylight Saving Time (DST) aligning with the Eastern Time zone of the USA (New York, Miami).

Again this is not the weekend when the Turks and Caicos Islands will set clocks forward; that will happen in November when clocks will ‘fall back’ with others observing the one hour time change.

CORRECTED.