Cars, trucks and buses are banned from some of Hong Kong’s outlying islands including Lamma, a haven for those seeking peace and quiet. Instead, island logistics rely on a fleet of dozens of mini tip-trucks. Owning one of these toy-like vehicles, however, can cost a million Hong Kong dollars – more than a top-trim status symbol like the Toyota Alphard.
Village vehicle owner Dai Fat (left) on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
These mini trucks – just over a metre in width – run along narrow winding paths criss-crossing Lamma Island’s jungles and villages. Known as “VVs” – village vehicles – they carry licence plates starting with “VV” and a string of numbers. They assist with home removals, bring grocery supplies to stores, take trash bags to the tip, and deliver materials to building sites.
But they are not allowed to carry passengers and have a single open-air driver’s seat. On most Lamma paths, they are allowed to operate between 7 am to 9 pm from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings. A small number are licensed to operate outside of these hours, such as those providing government maintenance services. A rare few are allowed to shuttle all the way between Lamma Island’s Yung Shue Wan, in the north, and Sok Kwu Wan, in the south.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
The trucks are indispensable to island residents and commerce, especially those in the business of building houses, yet they are also hard to come by: similar to Hong Kong taxis, the government has long stopped issuing ownership licences for VVs in order to cap their numbers.
“VV demand is driven by village housing construction and government works,” said Joe Yu, the owner of two licences. “They are a necessity driving Lamma’s economy.”
The exorbitant cost of VVs is therefore the result of a quota-limited supply meeting growing demand. Owning a VV involves around HK$800,000 to obtain a licence from a current owner, and another HK$200,000 to order a vehicle made at an island workshop, according to several owners on Lamma quoting transactions from the past year.
“The price will only increase. People will never lose money when reselling it,” Yu said. In other words, he thinks it’s pretty much an investment with guaranteed return and zero risk. That is, as long as it doesn’t get involved in a traffic accident with a possible licence revocation.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
In short, can become part of the island’s logistics chain by having a VV licence passed on to them from their family, or paying around a million in cash.
There are 83 registered village vehicles on Lamma Island, according to Transport Department statistics. More than 270 such trucks operate in various districts, mostly in the countryside. However the category also covers golf carts and other pedestrian-controlled vehicles. The city now has 1,413 village vehicles across the territory in total, the department said.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
Like everything else in Hong Kong, VV licenses were cheaper decades ago. The Transport Department started issuing special licences for these small vehicles meant only for cargo in the 1970s. This was to make life easier for residents in remote areas, and anyone who wanted a licence could get one by paying a small registration fee.
With no official records of transactions, it is hard to assess how much prices have surged over time, although a Lamma baker turned delivery person, known among residents as Dai Fat, said he bought his from another resident for around HK$10,000 back in 1991. That was roughly a decade after the government stopped issuing them, he said.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
These island mini trucks usually carry a two-litre gas tank paired with a small engine of up to 300 cc as allowed by law. They must include a handbrake system, front and back lights, a silencer to reduce the noise of the exhaust, and a warning horn. Speed limits vary depending on location. On most Lamma paths, they are limited to 15 km per hour.
Breach of the peace
Despite the restrictions, a common complaint among those escaping from city traffic are the vehicles’ noise and speed. A young couple who work from home next to a main Lamma path on the way towards the island’s beaches – where there is increasing build-up – said they are moving out next month due to constant noise from passing VVs.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
“It’s literally every 30 seconds or every other minute that one will pass by,” they said. “Whenever they switch gears there’s this horrible screeching noise.” They declined to provide their names, as they will inevitably have to rely on hiring VVs to help with their move in a few weeks’ time.
Meanwhile, they have to keep windows closed at all times, and use earplugs and headphones to block out the engine noise as the vehicles zoom past carrying sand and cement to construction sites, they said.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
Ms Yeung, a Lamma resident of two years, said some drivers can be more reckless than others, especially those serving construction sites. “There definitely were several instances where I could have been scraped or hit if I wasn’t looking out for myself,” she said.
A number of Lamma residents believe VVs, while essential, are insufficiently regulated. Varying rules that depend on different sections of the path or on the specific vehicle often cause confusion as to whether drivers were flouting the law. But VV owners who spoke with HKFP say they operate cautiously under the watchful eyes of each other, as disgruntled competitors may report violations as soon as they see one, and having their licenses revoked is too great a risk, they said.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
Formal complaints about VVs remain rare. The Transport Department fielded only four complaints regarding the number, speed and quality of village vehicles, and the drivers’ behaviour between 2023 and October this year, the department said.
VV workshops
VVs on Lamma are made locally. When they are in need of repair or a new vehicle, people usually turn to two “sifus” (craftsmen or master in Cantonese) running their own workshops in the rolling hills of the island.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
The core parts of the vehicle – its front and tail suspensions and gearbox – are taken from vehicles sent to scrapyards, usually Toyotas. The workshops on Lamma will then install them onto a metal frame custom-welded together. “They’re all handmade,” Dai Fat said.
Ordering a vehicle from the workshops now costs upwards of HK$200,000, roughly four times more expensive than three decades ago, according to local drivers. Their maintenance costs are also much higher than a regular passenger vehicle as there are no servicing options apart from the two sifus. Petrol, like other household supplies, is sold at a premium, at HK$28 a litre from the island’s only gas shop rather than HK$18 in the rest of Hong Kong.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
Even though licences on Lamma can fetch such a high price, transactions are few as holders are rarely willing to sell their access to a stable income stream. A single delivery trip could bring in between HK$180 to HK$200. Taking the load up flights of stairs is not included. VV drivers shuttling materials to construction sites typically earn around HK$1,500 a day, drivers said.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
“The vehicle is my wealth-generating equipment,” Dai Fat said, “Basically a member of my family.”
Many VV owners are therefore professional drivers. Although it costs as much as a luxury car, a million-dollar Lamma mini truck doesn’t have the same cachet – nor is it especially effective for wooing girls. They’re utility vehicles that don’t allow passengers, after all, although they can be traded in to create a modest retirement pension one day.
“VVs” – village vehicles – on Lamma Island in November 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam.
But Dai Fat believes VV licence prices may have peaked. Many island residents left the city following the 2019 protests and then the Covid lockdown, driving down demand for most things – from housing to VV deliveries. Even so, licence holders would be reluctant to sell at lower prices, he said. “Unlike ten years ago, there is a price, but no buyers now.”
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