Hundreds of taxis were driven slowly around the city centre for more than three hours yesterday as drivers expressed their anger at the proposals under which they will have to pay for the new security measure.

Starting from Gladstone Community Centre at 11am, the drivers made their way down Bourges Boulevard to the taxi enforcement office at Bridge House where they parked up and handed over a petition containing more than 200 signatures to the council's principal taxi enforcement officer Ken Gray.

The measure has been proposed by Peterborough City Council to install compulsory CCTV cameras in every cab as a way to deter attacks on drivers.

As part of the proposals, approved by the council's licensing committee, city taxi drivers will have to install their own cameras – at a cost of up to £679 per cab - within the next two years. There are also plans to provide NVQ training to help defuse tense situations with passengers.

But it comes at a time when the recession has seen profits plunge to an all-time low for Peterborough's 912 taxi and private hire drivers and 600 plus vehicles.

Speaking outside the enforcement office in East Station Road, Nick Messenger (48), who has been a taxi driver in the city for 14 years, said the CCTV cameras were a waste of time and money, especially for people like himself who only do airport runs or out of town trips.

He said: "The CCTV is meant to be there to protect drivers, but I am driving people who are going on holiday, they are not going to hurt me.

"The cameras should be there as an option for those who want them.

"By making people install CCTV in their cars and pay for them out of their own pockets will mean more drivers will start ignoring the new laws and drive illegally.

"We already have badges round our necks which cost £100 to renew each year and our vehicle plates which cost £180 to renew every year. We are in a recession, struggling to get work, we can't afford to pay out any more."