Russians unhappy with permanent daylight savings time – poll

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – October 29, 2013) An increasing number of Russians are tired of year-round daylight savings time, a recent survey shows.

According to a poll released on Tuesday by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research, just 32 percent of Russians approve of not having to set clocks back an hour each fall, down from 73 percent in February 2011, when year-round daylight savings time was introduced, RIA Novosti reports.

The decision to cancel winter time, made during Dmitry Medvedev’s last year as president in 2011, was initially somewhat controversial, with many Russians complaining the measure forced them to go to work while it was still dark in winter, adding to the fatigue and drowsiness of the season.

Russia’s State Duma is currently considering several bills about daylight savings time. One of the bills proposes reinstating the change to daylight savings time in spring and pushing the clocks back in fall. The other bill proposes moving to winter time permanently ­ which would mean that it will get dark one hour earlier in summer.