The first steam ferries appeared on the Bosphorus in 1837 and were operated by private sector companies. On 1 January 1851, the "Şirket-i Hayriye" (literally "The Goodwill Company", as the Istanbul Ferry Company was originally called) was established by the Ottoman state. The "Şirket-i Hayriye" continued to operate the city's landmark commuter ferries until the early years of the Republican period; when they went under the direction of "Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri" ("Turkish State Maritime Lines"). Since March 2006, Istanbul's traditional commuter ferries have been operated by municipality. In 2017, the municipality established a system for musicians to play live music for passengers in the lower salons of most ferry lines.