Inter-Islands Ferry Route (橫水渡航線) is an Outlying Island Route operated by Sun Ferry. It runs between Peng Chau Ferry Pier and Cheung Chau Ferry Pier, via Mui Wo Ferry Pier and Chi Ma Wan Pier.
History[]
The four outlying islands of Peng Chau, Cheung Chau, Mui Wo and Chi Ma Wan were originally unrelated to each other. However, since the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry (HYF)'s launching of the Inter-Islands Ferry on 6 November 1938, these districts have been inseparable from each other.
In the past, HYF's Central-Cheung Chau route was partly served by a circular ferry service with stops at Peng Chau and Mui Wo. On 9 May 1960, in line with the frequency adjustment of the outlying island ferries, this route has since made an additional stop at Chi Ma Wan at the same time.
In 1972, HYF planned to substantially revise the frequency of its outlying island routes and at the same time standardise its fares, including the ferry services between Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau:
- Peng Chau ↔ Mui Wo: $0.6;
- Peng Chau ↔ Chi Ma Wan: $0.3;
- Peng Chau ↔ Cheung Chau: $0.3;
- Mui Wo ↔ Chi Ma Wan ↔ Cheung Chau: $0.3.
In June 1973, following discussions between HYF and representatives of the Marine Department, the Transport Department, the Islands District Office, the Auxiliary Secretaries, the Public Works Department and the Marine Police, the outlying island ferry routes were upgraded to direct sailings on Sundays and Public Holidays with effect from 1 July, with a 90-minute frequency to and from Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau.[1]
- 1 July 1973: This route was introduced to replace the circular service of Central to Cheung Chau, which operates on Sundays and Public Holidays, with additional section fares.
- 19 November 1973:
- Weekday services were introduced due to change of weekday headways of Outlying Islands Routes;
- New Water Taxi services were added, with service only on Mondays to Saturdays.
- 1 January 1977: No longer served Hei Ling Chau.
- 1 November 1977: All section fares were cancelled.
- 25 May 1980: The berthing point at Mui Wo was changed to Mui Wo Ferry Pier.
- 17 October 1983: To tie in with the amalgamation of Central to Mui Wo and Central to Peng Chau routes during off-peak hours on weekdays, short-haul services were introduced.
- 16 January 1984: The berthing point at Peng Chau was relocated to the pier off Lo Ping Street.
Subsequently, in the 1980s, members of the community made two appeals to HYF about this route, including:
- 1987: HYF was advised by the Lamma Island Community Chest to extend this route to Yung Shue Wan to promote tourism.[2]
- 1988: The Islands District Councillors requested HYF to berth all sailings on this route at Chi Ma Wan, but the then General Manager, Mr Lau Ting Chung, claimed that some of the sailings would have to accommodate students studying on Lantau Island, and that if they were to berth at all the piers on that leg, there would be delays in waiting for the ferry. HYF would therefore need to study HYF's request in detail.[3]
Entering licensed era[]
In 1998, after the negotiation on the development of four piers in Central Reclamation failed, the Government decided to invite open tender for a total of 16 ferry routes, including this one. On 18 September 1998, the Government published in the Gazette an open tender for outlying island ferry routes, of which this route was included in Group 1[4], and HYF was one of the bidders; HYF was eventually awarded an operating licence.
- 1 April 1999: HYF's franchise was resumed by the Government and it was converted to a licensed operation:
- A flat frequency on weekdays and holidays was adopted;
- The original special sailing of the Central - Cheung Chau route via Mui Wo and Peng Chau was converted to be provided by this route;
- Fare was increased and luxury class seats were added.
- 7 April 1999: The luxury seats on the Central - Peng Chau route and this route were temporarily cancelled to provide more ordinary class seats for passengers[5], with the arrangement subsequently made permanent.
- 10 May 1999: The following arrangements were implemented:[6]
- A new sailing at 06:40 from Cheung Chau daily was introduced, which operated directly with the Central - Mui Wo Route after sailing to Mui Wo.
- Some sailing schedules were adjusted.
- 19 July 1999: The special departure from Cheung Chau was changed to depart at 06:35.[7]
- 15 January 2000: HYF formally transferred its licence to New World First Ferry (NWFF) and this route was taken over by NWFF.
- 4 April to 4 July 2003: Additional fast ferry services were introduced for a three-month trial period on Mondays to Fridays only.[8]
- 1 June 2004: Octopus payment was accepted to replace the manual ticketing service to simplify the fare payment process and to achieve efficient use of resources:[9]
- To enable passengers to gradually adapt to the new fare payment arrangement, a coin exchange service was provided at Mui Wo, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau ferry terminals during the first month of the new measure, i.e. from 1 June to 30 June;
- After 30 June, no change would be given at Mui Wo, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau Ferry Terminals and passengers would have to bring their own coins.
After the millenium[]
The licences of the six major outlying island ferry routes will expire at the end of March 2008. To this end, the Transport Department (TD) planned in August 2007 to invite tenders for the licences of the above ferry routes and consulted the Cheung Chau, Peng Chau, Mui Wo and Lamma Island Rural Committees and the Islands District Councils in June and July respectively. The six ferry routes would be split into two packages, with the Central and Cheung Chau, Peng Chau and Mui Wo, and the Inter-Islands route as a single package to be operated by the same ferry operator.
In addition, it was planned that the future Central - Peng Chau and Central - Mui Wo routes will be combined during non-peak hours. By then, passengers travelling between Peng Chau and Mui Wo will not need to rely on the Inter-Islands service and it is therefore proposed that the Inter-Islands would be optimised to provide a shuttle service between Mui Wo and Cheung Chau only, with some of its services stopping at Chi Ma Wan.
| Optimisation plan for Inter-Islands ferry route | Proposed routing arrangements | Proposed frequency arrangements |
|---|---|---|
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To tie in with the direct sailing arrangement during the morning peak hours after the proposed merger of the "Central - Peng Chau - Mui Wo" Route, the Inter-Islands ferry will operate from the non-peak hours during the daytime to the evening.
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The above arrangement, which would provide a more frequent service between Mui Wo and Cheung Chau, was objected to by the Islands District Council members as the proposal would require the operator to operate at least one ferry at 90-minute intervals (two-hour intervals) between 09:00 and 23:00, which would result in an increase in the cost of the ferry operation[10] and was ultimately not implemented.
- 1 July 2008: To tie in with the implementation of the new licences for outlying island ferry routes:
- The departure times of some regular trips were adjusted;
- The morning special departure from Cheung Chau to Central via Mui Wo and Peng Chau was advanced to depart at 06:30 and 06:50 at Mui Wo and Peng Chau respectively.
- 1 July to 31 December 2016: Fare concessions were implemented.[11][12]
- 1 September 2020: Fare concessions were available until 31 March of the following year. [13]
- 1 April 2021: To tie in with the implementation of the new licences for outlying island ferry services, adjustments to the fares and frequency of Inter-Islands Ferry were made:[14]
- From Chi Ma Wan:
- New departures at 15:00 and 23:05 daily to Mui Wo and Peng Chau were added;
- Departures at 14:20 and 16:20 daily to Cheung Chau were advanced by 5 minutes to 14:15 and 16:15;
- Departures at 17:10 daily to Mui Wo were advanced by 5 minutes to 17:05;
- Departure at 14:50 daily from Cheung Chau for Mui Wo and Peng Chau were advanced by 5 minutes early to 14:45 with additional stop at Chi Ma Wan;
- From Mui Wo;
- A new departure at 17:25 to Cheung Chau on Mondays to Fridays omitting Chi Ma Wan were added;
- Departure from 23:20 to Peng Chau every day was delayed for 5 minutes to 23:25;
- Departure of last ferry from Peng Chau every night was delayed for 5 minutes to 23:45.
- 31 May 2021: The special departure from Mui Wo to Cheung Chau was changed to depart at 17:20. [15][16]
- 17 March to 11 April 2022: In response to the fifth wave of the 2022 outbreak, the sailings of this route to Central on Mondays to Saturdays with through operation with Sun Ferry Central to Mui Wo Route was changed to terminate at Peng Chau.
- 1 February to 28 February 2023: Fare concessions were introduced.[17]
- 24 September 2023: Fares were increased for this route.[18]
Historical route information[]
Details of the past service hours and headways, fares and other route information of this route are set out in the "Historical route information" sub-page of this article.
Timetable[]
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Special Trips[]
| Cheung Chau→Mui Wo→Peng Chau→Central | ||
|---|---|---|
| From Cheung Chau | From Mui Wo | From Peng Chau (alight only) |
| Daily | ||
| 06:00→ | 06:30→ | 06:50→ |
| Deploy Ordinary Ferry from Central - Mui Wo Route, after alighting passengers at Peng Chau, journey continues to Central Pier 5/6[19] | ||
| Mui Wo to Cheung Chau (Omit Chi Ma Wan) | ||
| Mon-Fri | ||
| 17:20→17:40 Arrive | ||
| Remarks |
|---|
|
Sailing times[]
| Edit | Sun Ferry Inter-Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Peng Chau ↔ Mui Wo | Mui Wo ↔ Chi Ma Wan | Chi Ma Wan ↔ Cheung Chau | Peng Chau ↔ Cheung Chau |
| 20mins | 15mins | 20mins | 50-55mins |
The above sailing time is for reference only, the actual time required is subject to sea traffic, weather and sea conditions.
Fare chart[]
| Ordinary Ferry Service | |
|---|---|
| Adult | $14.5 |
| Elderly, Child and Disabled | $7.4 |
| Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme (Elderly Octopus card, JoyYou Card) |
$2.0 |
| Freight (per cubic metre) | $74.8 - $93.4 |
| Bicycle | $15.9 |
| Pets | $15.6 |
| Fare remarks |
|---|
|
Freight services[]
Passengers who wish to bring belongings on board the ferry (except hand baggage measuring less than 32 inches wide x 23 inches high x 12 inches deep) must bring the belongings with them to the Ticketing Offices at the ferry terminals (for embarkation at Cheung Chau and Mui Wo) or on board the ferry (for embarkation at Peng Chau and Chi Ma Wan) to purchase a cargo ticket. After boarding, the goods must be stored in the designated loading area. Detailed fares can be enquired at the Ticketing Office at the ferry pier.
Ferry fleet[]
The Inter-Islands Ferry service operates with a hybrid catamaran, Xin Ming Zhu XXX (新明珠30).
The daily 6:00 service from Cheung Chau also uses the ordinary Mui Wo Route ferry, which arrives at Peng Chau and continues to Central on the Mui Wo Route.[19] Departures from Mui Wo to Cheung Chau at 17:20 from Mondays to Fridays are operated by New Ferry double-deckers (Xin Zhong, Xin Ying and Xin Jie) or small high-speed vessels (New Ferry IX, New Ferry X and New Ferry XI).
In case of vessel deployment or regular maintenance, Sun Ferry may deploy small high-speed boats[20][21] or double-deckers (Xin Zhong, Xin Ying and Xin Jie).
Starting from 14 September 2024, the newly purchased hybrid catamaran Xin Ming Zhu XXX have begun operating some of the Inter-Islands Ferry service sailings.
| List of vessels on Sun Ferry Inter-Islands Ferry Route | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel name | Certificate of Ownership no. | Remarks | |
| Xin Ying (新英) | A3873 | Operates during some times only | |
| Xin Jie (新傑) | A4123 | Operates during some times only | |
| Xin Ming Zhu XXX (新明珠30) | A145405 | Operates whole-day | |
Fleet evolution history[]
In the early years of the Inter-Islands Ferry service, a double-decked passenger ferry, Man Tat (民達) commonly known by its nickname "Tai Lo Yau" (大蘿油)[22], and water taxis were deployed on weekdays, but they were withdrawn in 1976.[24] The first generation Man Kit (民傑) was deployed in 1981.[23]
In 1983, double-decker ferries with a capacity of 600 to 710 passengers were deployed with the vessels being "Tai Lo Yau’ double-decker ferries (Man Tat, Man Ching (民清) and the spare vessel Man Yiu (民耀)[24]), with Man Lai and Man Yee joining in the 1990s, and the Man Lai was deployed after the decommissioning of the "Tai Lo Yau" double-decker ferries.[25] Besides, Man Ying, Man Yuet and Man Loi were also deployed to this route.[26]
Towards the end of HYF's operation, Sing Way 11 was assigned to this route as well. After the launching of Ming River in 1999, the former was re-deployed to operate between North Point and Kowloon City and between North Point and Hung Hom[27], and was replaced by another chartered new vessel, Ming River (Certificate of Ownership No. A9883)[28], which has become a mainstay of the fleet. The vessel was manufactured by Zhuhai Shipbuilding Industry General Corporation on 8 January 1999, with air-conditioning facilities on both the upper and lower decks, and was chartered from Yun Lee Marine[29], with the annual survey fee and private mooring charges included in the charter fee[30].
After NWFF took over this route in 2000, the vessel arrangement remained unchanged until 2001 when it was joined by Plenty River[31], which was used as a reserve vessel from the following year, and in 2003, a fast ferry service was trialled on this route, using a Cheoy Lee Shipyard-built catamaran, commonly known as the "Yau Tsai" (Hung Wai 11).[32]
From April 2024, Sun Ferry ceased chartering the Ming River and instead sailed ordinary double-decker vessels (Xin Zhong, Xin Ying or Xin Jie) from its own fleet. In September 2024, Xin Ming Zhu XXX, a newly acquired hybrid catamaran, joined the fleet.
Ridership[]
According to the information in the relevant documents over the years, the ridership of the Inter-Islands Ferry Route is as follows:
| Year | Passenger capacity | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The annual amount of passengers was 487,000.[33] | |
| 1995 | The annual amount of passengers was 475,000.[33] | |
| 1996 | The annual amount of passengers was 467,000.[33] | |
| 1999 | ||
| 2009 | The daily average amount of passengers was 985 | [36] |
| 2012 | The daily average amount of passengers was 915 | [36] |
| 2015 | The daily average amount of passengers was 1059 | [36] |
Future developments[]
In the 2019 Policy Address, the Government decided to subsidise the replacement of this route from one ordinary vessel to two fast vessels.[37] The replacement was eventually changed to a new ordinary vessel (Xin Ming Zhu XXX).
In February 2020, the Transport Department issued a paper to consult the Islands District Council on the future service arrangements for this route.[38][39]
Gallery[]
Related articles[]
- Tsui Wah Ferry Peng Chau - Discovery Bay Route
- Peng Chau Kaito Discovery Bay - Mui Wo Route
- Sea Ranch Management Company Sea Ranch - Cheung Chau Route
Notes and References[]
- ↑ Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po, 28 June 1973.
- ↑ "南丫島團體提建議要求 擱置榕樹灣新船期 待廣徵民意再釐訂 將進行問卷調查‧並召開居民大會" (Lamma organisations request shelving of Yung Shue Wan ferry service, to be decided after public consultation Questionnaire survey to be conducted and residents' meeting to be convened), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 21 March 1987.
- ↑ "離島議員要求增小輪班次 配合各島發展旅遊利交通" (Members of the Islands District Council requested to increase the frequency of ferry services to tie in with the development of tourism and facilitate transport on various islands.), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 27 April 1988.
- ↑ Gazette No. 4617: "Ferry Services Ordinance (Cap. 104): Tenders for licences to operate outlying island services", The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 38, 18 September 1998
- ↑ HKSARG, "C for T: passenger capacity of ferries met demand" (News Release), 11 April 1999.
- ↑ Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited, "Outlying Islands Timetables Revision and (Mui Wo - Central) Students Special Fare Suspension" [Press Release], 6 May 1999.
- ↑ Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited, "Revise the Ferry Timetable for Peng Chau, Mui Wo & Inter-Island Routes" [Press Release], 6 May 1999.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, ""Peng Chau – Mui Wo – Chi Ma Wan – Cheung Chau" Licensed Ferry Service - A Trial Plan for Provision of Additional Fast Ferry Services" [Traffic Advice], April 2003.
- ↑ New World First Ferry Services Limited, " Using Octopus Cards for payment of Inter-islands Service (Peng Chau - Mui Wo - Chi Ma Wan - Cheung Chau) Save Time & Convenient" [News Release], 25 May 2004.
- ↑ 第二屆離島區議會會議紀錄 - 2007年7月3日會議 (Minutes of the Second Term Islands District Council Meeting - 3 July 2007), section 50-54.
- ↑ 港外線渡輪七月減價 (Outlying Island ferries to reduce fares from July), hkitalk.net
- ↑ 兩渡輪6航線推票價優惠 平日最多慳$5.5 (Fare concessions on six ferry routes of the two ferry companies, up to $5.5 savings on weekdays), Oriental Daily News, 18 May 2016.
- ↑ See news releases from NWFF and HKKF.
- ↑ Sun Ferry Services Limited, "New arrangements under the new licence for the outlying island ferry services operated by Sun Ferry effective from 1 April 2021" [Press Release], 23 March 2021.
- ↑ Sun Ferry Services Limited, "下午5時25分由梅窩往長洲之橫水渡航班於2021年5月31日起調整開航時間為下午5時20分" (Inter-Islands Ferry sailing at 5:25 p.m. from Mui Wo to Cheung Chau will be rescheduled to 5:20 p.m. with effect from 31 May 2021) [Press Release], 26 May 2021.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, " Service adjustment of Licensed Ferry Service - “Inter-Islands (Peng Chau - Mui Wo - Chi Ma Wan - Cheung Chau)”" [Traffic Advice], 27 May 2021.
- ↑ Sun Ferry Services Limited, "Sun Ferry introduces fare discounts to Outlying Island Ferry Services in February 2023" (Press Release), 26 January 2023.
- ↑ Related District Council document (Chinese)
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 0600長洲開橫水渡 同 0630梅窩開去中環 渡輪多問，hkitalk.net
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/groups/153525711439947/posts/3393231060802713/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3148558322139236&set=p.3148558322139236&type=3
- ↑ Re:Re:【九龍城碼頭系列7】大蘿油（民達、民清）(1), Hong Kong Vessel Discussion Board old post archives. (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=735711496575156&set=g.153324101368584&type=1&theater&ifg=1
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209427352824230&set=g.153324101368584&type=1&theater&ifg=1
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209427354184264&set=pcb.1180666125301038&type=3&theater
- ↑ Re:Re:【九龍城碼頭系列7】大蘿油（民達、民清）(2), Hong Kong Vessel Discussion Board old post archives. (Chinese)
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1283934938393255&set=g.153324101368584&type=1&ifg=1
- ↑ Once owned by Fortune Ferry, it was sold to Yun Lee Marine in April 2022.
- ↑ Yun Lee fleet: Ming River
- ↑ Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2014-15 - Question Serial No. 0120, Controlling Officer's Reply Serial No. THB(T)076, Finance Committee of the Legislative Council
- ↑ 橫水渡 (Inter-Islands Ferry), HKVDB Old Post Archives.
- ↑ 今日變成這樣 (Today looked like this) and 打醮無難度, 新艇有進步.. (No difficulty in Da Jiu and improvements in new ferry), HKVDB Old Post Archives.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 "兩小輪專利若屆滿 部分航線將公開競投" (Some routes to be placed on tender if franchise of two ferries expire), Oriental Daily News, 14 June 1997.
- ↑ "坪洲乘客量低利瀾少 小輪公司視為雞肋" (Low patronage and low profit Peng Chau ferry regarded as chicken ribs by ferry companies), Oriental Daily News, 17 August 1999.
- ↑ "一月中接掌油蔴地八航線 員工全「過檔」 新巴隹績 助新世界接辦渡輪" (New World to take over 8 HYF routes from mid-January onwards with all staff transitioning; excellent results of NWFB helped New World take over ferries), HKET, 3 November 1999.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Patronage of the outlying island ferry routes in 2009, 2012 and 2015
- ↑ Outlying Island Ferry Services, Legislative Council Panel on Transport Paper No. CB(4)114/19-20(05), 15 November 2019.
- ↑ https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/island/doc/2020_2023/tc/dc_meetings_doc/18038/IS_2020_21_TC.pdf.pdf
- ↑ https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/island/doc/2020_2023/tc/dc_meetings_doc/18038/IS_2020_21_A_TC.pdf
External links[]
- Sun Ferry: Inter-Islands Ferry Route
- Transport Department: Franchised and Licensed Ferry Service Details
Sun Ferry Inter-Islands, Sun Ferry Inter-Islands Route, Cheung Chau - Mui Wo, Mui Wo - Cheung Chau, Peng Chau - Mui Wo, Mui Wo - Peng Chau, Cheung Chau - Chi Ma Wan, Cheung Chau - Peng Chau, Mui Wo - Chi Ma Wan, Peng Chau - Cheung Chau, Peng Chau - Chi Ma Wan, Chi Ma Wan - Cheung Chau, Chi Ma Wan - Peng Chau and Chi Ma Wan - Mui Wo
| Sun Ferry | Inter Islands (Peng Chau ↔ Mui Wo ↔ Chi Ma Wan ↔ Cheung Chau) |
|---|---|
| HKKF | Central ↔ Lamma Island (Yung Shue Wan)🌙 • Central ↔ Lamma Island (Sok Kwu Wan) |
| PITCL | |
| DBTPL | |
| Fortune Ferry | |
| Tsui Wah Ferry | |
| Chuen Kee Ferry | |
| Peng Chau Kaito | |
| Cross-harbour routes • Kaito routes • Cross-boundary routes Italic: service provided during specified times only; 🌙: late-night service also provided | |