Abstract
The paper describes briefly the fallout of urbanisation taking place across the world and highlights the degradation of environment by the ever-growing traffic plying in the developing cities. After outlining the difficulties in planning and developing MRTS, it makes a case for medium capacity systems, particularly the Light Rail Transit system (LRT). Focusing the virtues of the LRT, it prescribes development of LRT systems as the thrust of the sustainable transportation strategy for developing cities.