Lothian Buses is one of the companies backing the move

The move involves Lothian and Borders Police and two of the capital's bus companies, First Edinburgh and Lothian Buses.

During the past four months there have been more than 100 incidents of violence on buses in Edinburgh.

The vast majority of these have involved damage to vehicles.

First Edinburgh and Lothian Buses say vandalism alone is costing them almost �1m a year.

In some cases there is also a human cost with drivers and passengers being robbed, assaulted or subjected to threatening behaviour.

Martin White, a police constable for 15 years, has been given the liaison officer's job.

Safety comes first

The 38-year-old said: "I applied for the post because I felt it had the potential to make a difference and reduce people's fear of crime in their everyday lives."

Tom Wood, the deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police, said that crime on public transport continued to be "an area of concern".

He added that the move would help to address where problems lay and the best way to target effective solutions.

Both Lothian Buses and First Scotland East welcomed the appointment, saying the safety of passengers and drivers was of paramount importance.

Attacks on buses are not confined to Scotland capital. At the beginning of July, a bus driver was shot in the head with a pellet when he stopped his vehicle in Erskine, near Paisley.