Paratransit (also community transport in the United Kingdom, or intermediate public transport) is a type of public transport service that supplements fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. Paratransit services may vary considerably on the degree of flexibility they provide their customers. At their simplest they may consist of a taxi or small bus that will run along a more or less defined route and then stop to pick up or discharge passengers on request. At the other end of the spectrum—fully demand-responsive transport—the most flexible paratransit systems offer on-demand call-up door-to-door service from any origin to any destination in a service area. In addition to public transit agencies, paratransit services may be operated by community groups or not-for-profit organizations, and for-profit private companies or operators.

The concept of intermediate public transport (IPT) or paratransit, exhibits considerable variation between developed and developing nations. In developed countries, it is typically a flexible, demand-responsive form of public transportation designed to provide point-to-point service. These systems are generally well-structured and organized. On the other hand, in developing countries, IPT often operates as an informal, cost-effective alternative to formal transportation modes. It tends to be unorganized and subject to minimal government regulation, serving as a prevalent form of spontaneous public transport that facilitates quick and convenient travel.

The importance of IPT may extends beyond mobility, as it can also contribute to the economic well-being of those who operate these services. In some cases, drivers of vehicles such as tempos and autorickshaws can earn a substantial daily income, which supports their livelihoods.

Typically, minibuses are used to provide paratransit service in USA. Most paratransit vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts or ramps to facilitate access.

In the United States, private transportation companies often provide paratransit service in cities and metropolitan areas under contract to local public transportation agencies.

The use of "paratransit" ("para transit", "para-transit") has evolved and taken on two somewhat separate broad sets of meaning and application in North America; the term is rarely used in the rest of the world.

The more general meaning includes any transit service operating alongside conventional fixed-route services, including airport limousines and carpools. Since the early 1980s, particularly in North America, the term began to be used increasingly to describe the second meaning: special transport services for people with disabilities. In this respect, paratransit has become a subsector and business in its own right. The term paratransit is rarely used outside of North America.

Projects in the broader sense were documented by the Urban Institute in the 1974 book Para-transit: Neglected options for urban mobility, followed a year later by the first international overview, Paratransit: Survey of International Experience and Prospects. Robert Cervero's 1997 book, Paratransit in America: Redefining Mass Transportation, embraced this wider definition of paratransit, arguing that America's mass transit sector should enlarge to include micro-vehicles, minibuses, and shared-taxi services found in many developing cities. Paratransit, as an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules, are common and often offer the only mechanized mobility options for the poor in many parts of the developing world.