Rapid urbanization in developing countries has posed severe problems for mobility, congestion, and air pollution. Consequently, governments are investing heavily in mass transit systems including bus rapid transit (BRT) and light rail transit (LRT) to decrease a reliance on cars, and to increase sustainability. In Lahore, Pakistan, a BRT was opened in 2013 and the first LRT system in the country in 2020 as part of an overarching multi-modal strategy to modernize urban transportation in Lahore, and control the soaring emissions generated by private vehicles. However, sustainability issues remain. Vehicle registrations increased tremendously since 2014, with the transport sector labelled as one of the greatest contributors to air pollution. Using secondary data and contextual analysis, this article evaluates the systemic factors undermining mass transit in Lahore: including limited integration with other forms of paratransit, limited coverage, fiscal dependency on subsidies, and a continued reliance on private vehicles. The analysis of Lahore is situated within broader discussions on sustainable urban mobility, and that the lure of technical innovation with new BRT and LRT, without instituting reforms within institutions and governance, and following environmentally aligned policies, would be insufficient. Lessons from both Global South and developed contexts suggest that mass transit that lacks coordinated planning risks being financially fragile and environmentally ineffective. Thus, Lahore also illuminates interesting lessons for other rapidly urbanizing cities, children of the digital age and other contexts, by underscoring the urgency of an integrated approach that links local governance, social equity, and sustainable urban transport.