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Asda is leading a renewed campaign to free up the times at which lorries can deliver to stores. The supermarket giant has enlisted central government support for what it describes as "a pilot scheme" in Manchester, where it wants a Sunday curfew lifted. Revised guidelines on night bans were recently published by the DfT. Ministers are getting behind renewed efforts to promote night-time deliveries in order to improve efficiency, ease daytime congestion and reduce pollution. The FTA published an extensive  "tool kit", offering advice to operators as to how to go about persuading local councils to change their mind on curfews.

This concerted drive follows a dismal record in recent years. The DfT put much political capital behind a Sainsbury's plan to deliver at night in Leeds, with former transport secretary Alistair Darling repeatedly trying to get the city's councillors to allow even the minor test, to no avail. And progress in getting any easing of the London lorry ban has been painfully slow, despite some support from Transport for London. County councils give the impression of wanting to move the other way, with Gloucestershire revealing well-developed plans for a night ban above 7.5 tonnes on many of the county's roads.

Friends of the Earth has already mobilised to oppose any relaxation of restrictions on lorries. Transport for London confirmed this week that its low emission zone could go live from February 2008, with Euro 3 the particulate matter standard  for trucks above 12 tonnes, and lighter trucks from 2010. From 2012, the standard would be Euro 4.