Head of Uber in Hungary Zoltán Fekete speaks at press conference on February 18.

Following an online petition launched by Uber and signed by approximately 17,000 Hungarians, the company said that Hungarians have expressed their support of Uber’s presence in Hungary, according to reports.

“Uber will continues to provide all the support necessary to its Hungarian drivers,” Hungarian head of Uber Zoltán Fekete told journalists, in response to the Hungarian government’s earlier announcement that Uber drivers who do not operate legally and are caught by officials could lose their license plates.

“Drivers continue to apply for the necessary permits,” Fekete said, adding that the number of drivers is expected to reach 2,000 by the end of the year, up from the current 1,200.

Uberʼs Hungarian operations have recently come under fire, after Hungarian taxi drivers demonstrated at Deák Ferenc tér, one of Budapestʼs central junctions, for four days, asking the government to shut down Uber. The government said it would change the regulations, and initiated negotiations with representatives of taxi drivers, but did not invite Uber to take part, according to reports.