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Norfolk County Council is trying to boost interest in a freight consolidation centre among retailers by allowing trucks in bus and cycle lanes to speed up deliveries. The freight transhipment centre (FTC), based on the outskirts of Norwich, was launched last August - but Foulger Transport, which won the contract to run it, says  winning new business has been difficult. Unlike a similar operation in Bristol, the Norwich FTC is only partly funded by the local authority. Customers must pay for use of the centre as well as the delivery of goods into Norwich.

Graham Mayes, business development manager, says: "Commercial interest has been exceedingly low. Norwich has come at it from a completely different angle to Bristol, where the council pays for the scheme in its entirety. I've talked to the council on a number of occasions currently there's no stick to force customers to join the scheme and no carrot to incentivise them to join." However, the county council is now considering trialling the use of bus and cycle lanes on the A11 in Norwich by trucks from the FTC. This could guarantee deliveries to shops and businesses at specific times.

David Sprunt, Norwich area transportation co-ordinator, says it is attempting to avoid the dilemma now facing Bristol's local authority: "The big problem is the burden  on the council. The scheme has been successful and now it's very difficult for them to withdraw the funding. We were highly aware of that."

The bus lane proposal will be put before a joint committee this week with a view to launching a trial in the spring. Sprunt adds: "There will only be a handful [of LGVs] - three to five a day. It's trying to give shops and businesses added value to getting a delivery. We're looking at one or two other things we could do in addition to that."