Uber expands in São Paulo state

Car hailing app Uber has expanded its footprint in Brazil further with the announcement of its operations in the city of Campinas.

Campinas is the largest countryside city of the state of São Paulo, with approximately 1 million people. The launch was announced last week via an email to members.

"Campinas now has another convenient, safe and accessible [transport] option for local users, at the same rates as São Paulo," the email says.

This is the sixth Brazilian city that Uber has expanded to. In addition to Campinas, the company operates in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre.

The app is not yet present in the North and Northeast regions of the country, but the firm's recent job openings in Pernambuco state capital Recife suggest this may soon change.

Since its launch in Brazil in 2014, Uber has constantly found itself in trouble with city authorities. The most recent legal battle involving the company took place in São Paulo: in October last year, after the city council voted to ban apps such as Uber, São Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad has brought in new rules such as the creation of a category known as black cabs, as an attempt to allow taxis and new alternatives to coexist.