OREANDA-NEWS.  The Chilean government has reinstated a winter time change starting in May to save energy, reduce crime and traffic accidents, and keep children in school.

Chileans will now be required to set their clocks back one hour from 12 May to 13 August, setting the country to GMT-4 for the three-month period. The move means more daylight in the morning and an earlier dusk.

The new measure backpedals on a January 2015 decree that had maintained the summer schedule of GMT-3, with no clock adjustments, through March 2017.

At the time the 2015 decision was made, the government said the summer and winter time schedules did not save energy, and crime would decrease by extending daylight through a single summer schedule. Keeping clocks steady would also alleviate stress, the government said.

The government now says that after extensive studies and public consultations, it has determined that the single schedule increased school absenteeism and a time change will save 1pc of energy.

Pacheco rejected widespread calls by representatives of the far south Magallanes region to maintain the single GMT-3 schedule for that region, where daylight hours are limited during the winter months.

Air carriers and bus companies say they are in the process of adjusting their schedules.