Plans to introduce road charging to cut congestion will be scrapped by Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander unless the country backs the scheme, it has been reported.
Mr Alexander told the Daily Mirror: "Unless motorists and families can see the benefits of bringing in a national road pricing system then it simply won't happen."
On Friday, an online petition opposing the project passed the million-signature mark - with signatures being added at a rate of around one every second that day.
But a Department for Transport spokesman played down Mr Alexander's comments, emphasising that no decision on a national road charging system could be made until the results of planned regional trials were known.
Mr Alexander told the paper: "I understand the public's concerns. Frankly, if we were proposing what the petition suggests, I would share their concerns."
He added: "Congestion is the enemy - and doing nothing is just not an option."
On Saturday, Mr Alexander insisted he would not allow the scale of the protest to deter him from pressing ahead with trials of charging schemes designed to cut congestion.
Mr Alexander said that the scale of the response showed the need for more debate on proposals to cut congestion by charging motorists to use the busiest roads at peak times.
Manchester and Birmingham are thought to be front-runners to host the regional trials, starting in around four to five years.
Sir Rod Eddington's recent report on the future of transport gave strong support to nationwide congestion charging, which the DfT calculates could result in tolls of up to £1.28 a mile on the busiest roads in peak periods.
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