The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited (HYF), is a ferry company founded in 1897 in Hong Kong. It is commonly known as Yaumati Ferry. After restructuring the company in 1989, it became a subsidiary of Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Company Limited (香港小輪(集團)有限公司).
The original company was founded by a Chinese business man named Lau Tak Po in 1897 during the Colonial Hong Kong era. At the time he purchased 5 wooden boats and provided services exclusively to Kowloon under the company name "Yaumati Ferry".[2] Yaumati is the alternative transliteration of Yau Ma Tei.
Until the Ferries Ordinance of 1917, there was no regulation set by the government as to who can run a ferry service. After the Ordinance was enacted, no one can operate a ferry service without securing a license from the government through public tender.[3][Notes 1] The first companies who obtained the license during 1919-1921 operated poorly, hence in April 1923, the government issued a call in the Gazette for a tender to operate the Yaumati ferry service. Lau Tak Po then started to recruit other Chinese Merchants to compete for the ferry license. Eventually, Lau Tak Po together with 13 other merchants secured the license in July 1923, and established "the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited" with Lau Tak Po and Lau King Cho as the managing directors on 5 November 1923.[4][5]
Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry obtained the franchise license for the rights to the transportation route, blocking off competition from Star Ferry company. As a result, the Yaumati Ferry company became the largest Chinese-owned company in the world at that point in time, profiting from the transportation demand of Kowloon expansion.[citation needed]
On 1 January 1924, Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry commenced its ferry service. The routes included were: Victoria City/Yaumati; Victoria City/Mong Kok Tsui; Victoria City/Sham Shui Po. A fleet of 12 small Wooden hulled vessels were used.[6] Due to warnings from the government as to the low quality of the vessels, the old fleet was eventually replaced by newly built wooden and steel ferries during the 1920s.[7]
Subsequently, the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry expanded its services to include the vehicular ferry service in 1933.[8] The service transported motor vehicles across Victoria Harbour for many years (from 1933 to 1998) prior to the opening of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Eastern Harbour Tunnel and Western Harbour Tunnel in 1972, 1989 and 1997. The company decided to give up the ferry licenses in 1999, and these licenses were transferred to the New World First Ferry on 15 January 2000.
Ownership and control
According to official documents, Henderson Investment Ltd. is the largest shareholder of Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry's parent company Hong Kong Ferry. Henderson beneficially owning 31.33% of the share capital of the company as at 31 December 2005. Henderson chairman Dr. Lee Shau Kee and Vice Chairman Colin Lam are[when?] also Directors of the company.
End of ferry service
Although it gave up its franchised ferry licences in 2000, the company retained the Dangerous Goods Vehicular Ferry Service routes between North Point, Kwun Tong, and Mui Wo, as these vehicles are not allowed to go through any one of the three cross harbour tunnels, while Mui Wo is situated on Lantau Island.
Fleet
HY Ferry Fleet
Name
Type
Seats
Builder
Year Built
Notes
Man Ying (1st Gen.)
Wooden single ended passenger ferry
434
Kwong Tak Cheong Shipyard
1924
Changed to diesel engine in 1947, retired 1957.
Man Lai
(1st Gen.)
Double ended passenger ferry
412
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd.
1925
Changed to diesel engine in 1949, retired in 1966.
Man Yee
(1st Gen.)
Double ended passenger ferry
412
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd.
1925
Changed to diesel engine in 1949, retired in 1969.
Man Chung
(1st Gen.)
Double ended passenger ferry
412
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd.
1925
Changed to diesel engine in 1948, retired in 1969.
Man Shun
(1st Gen.)
Double ended passenger ferry
412
Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd.
1925
Changed to diesel engine in 1949, retired in 1963.
^Except for Star Ferry, who obtained a different license under a ordinance passed in 1902.
References
^"Contact Us". Hong Kong Ferry. Retrieved 2020-12-18. The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited 98 Tam Kon Shan Road, TYTL 102, Ngau Kok Wan, North Tsing Yi, New Territories, Hong Kong
^Wiltshire, Trea. [First published 1987] (republished & reduced2003). Old Hong Kong - Volume One. Central, Hong Kong: Text Form Asia books Ltd. Page 71. ISBN Volume One 962-7283-59-2
