Ride-sharing company Uber is opening its first New Jersey office in a city where it is not allowed to offer rides.

Using the Uber app
Using the Uber app (Uber)
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Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer (D) welcomed Uber as they open a support center in the city despite the fact that taxi regulations prohibit the company from legally operating there.

"They provide a valuable transportation option for our community," Zimmer told NJ.com, "and I hope that legislation is adopted at the state level to accommodate their innovative operating model."

Last summer Hoboken banned Uber from operating within the city by stopping its vehicles and forcing passengers out, according to ABC 7, which reports that drivers who violate the ban face a $1,000 fine.

Uber and its rival service, Lyft, allows passengers to request car service via a mobile app. There are more than Uber 5,000 drivers in New Jersey and general manager Josh Mohrer expects the number to double by the end of the year. The service has come under fire from taxi and limousine companies because it does not have to follow the same rules and regulations they do. Uber maintains that it is a "technology service," not a taxi company.

The company, which started in Secaucus, started an active campaign this week against proposed legislation that would require additional layers of insurance and registration by  with the State Motor Vehicle Commission. Lawmakers have said they do not believe Uber will leave the state because the company makes money now and would continue to do so if the legislation goes through.

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Kelly Waldron contributed to this report

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