Councillors and council staff should give up their free parking perk and let tourist coaches park in the centre of Inverness.
The city is without an official site for tour buses after permission for a temporary site in Ardross Street ran out.
David McGrath, chairman of Smithton and Culloden Community Council, believes that elected members and council staff based at the Town House should give up their car park to solve the problem.
He said yesterday: “We hear often of plans to turn the castle into a visitor attraction, and there is a large car park in the castle grounds ideal for coaches.
“Just below this car park is the town house car park, free for councillors and staff. Why should this elite group have such a privilege when most town centre workers do not get free parking?
“There is a large car park at Highland Council HQ, again free for the use of the privileged few. Yet the commercial gain to local traders and the tourism to the Highlands is jeopardised to maintain this perk.
Council officials have warned councillors that if a replacement coach park was not agreed, coach companies would shun the city next summer, but during the bad-tempered debate, councillors were divided over whether Ardross Street should be the permanent spot.
Mr McGrath believes that Ardross Street was too far from the city centre for many tourists and said that a drop-off and pick-up point should be closer to the city centre.
He said: “Ardross Street is a no-go. By the time people find their way to the shops and everything else they need to go back to the bus. It’s not really getting people to visit and spend money.
“You can see why they’re warning that the big tour operators are getting fed up with the situation.”
Council transport officer Neil Young told councillors last week that coach companies regarded Ardross Street as a success.
A Highland Council spokeswoman said all suitable locations for a coach facility near to the city centre were investigated and the Castle Esplanade was currently subject to a barrier to prevent “boy racers” using the area.
She added “The council HQ car park in Glenurquhart Road was deemed by the tourism industry to be too far for tourists to walk to the city centre and all the spaces are used by council employees and members.
“Even if the staff and members kindly gave up their Town House car park, it is not big enough for a drop-off and pick-up point for coaches.”