The compactness of Inverness city centre makes it easy for tourists to walk around, but parking and transport remain a bugbear for many.
The one-way system has been severely tested by restrictions imposed after a fire in Academy Street earlier this year.
Long-standing road closures because of the River Ness Flood Alleviation Scheme have also caused consternation for businesses, who feared that people were staying away.
Pat Hayden, chairwoman of Crown and City Centre Community Council, said: “Traffic is a major concern as it doesn’t flow in the city centre.
“I understand from Highland Council that the city centre traffic lights are very old.
“However, surely it is possible to synchronise them to allow traffic to flow rather than the ‘stop-start’ situation which is prevalent at present?”
Bryan Peach, of the Victorian Gift Shop, agreed, saying: “The city can’t move for traffic. It is taking people so long to get around. Locals are keeping away.
“There are also parking problems.
“We need free parking – everywhere else in the Highlands has it.
“It would encourage people to come into the city. We lose so many to out-of-town developments.”
It is a sentiment echoed by Richie Paxton, chairman of Park Community Council.
He said: “People only go to shopping centres because the parking is free.
“We need to bring businesses back into the city centre.
“The only way is free parking, or pricing it at £1 an hour. That would encourage people.”
It is an issue that new city provost Helen Carmichael has pledged to address.
She is proposing a scheme, paid for by the Inverness Common Good Fund, to subsidise city-centre parking in the run-up to Christmas.
Mrs Carmichael said: “I appreciate that there is ongoing disruption to the city centre and understand the concerns raised by local businesses.
“I have asked Highland Council’s community services to look at options that could involve supporting subsidised access to council parking at Rose Street car park.”
She added: “An application will be made to the Inverness Common Good Fund for subsidised parking at Rose Street Car Park.
“The period of subsidy would be during the lead-up to Christmas and would be targeted so that shoppers have an incentive to visit the excellent array of shops and services that the city centre has on offer.”