A total of 67 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were issued on the first day of the new heavy goods vehicle (HGV) levy.

Transport minister Stephen Hammond made the announcement as he launched the new Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Commercial Motors reported a total of 687 trucks were stopped to check if they had paid the tax.

According to the government, over £20,000 in fines were issued on April 1st, when the legislation came into force. Mr Hammond stated the news was "testament that the Road User Levy came in on time and is working".

The tax is designed to force foreign hauliers to pay to use the UK's roads, something which British companies have had to do for many years when working in Europe. All HGVs weighing 12 tonnes or more have to pay the charge, which is a time-based levy of up to £1,000 per year or £10 per day.

Although the law is not able to discriminate against any nation, UK companies are expected to be compensated by seeing a reduction in vehicle excise duty.