The Eki-sei transportation system being intended mainly for transmission of urgent information between the capital and local regions, ekiro (highways) from the capital and local regions and umaya (facilities for providing houses, foods, etc.) along ekiro were maintained, and informants, carrying an ekirei bell and using one of five to twenty ekiba (horses for transportation of official travelers) kept in an Umaya, passed through ekiro.
駅制は中央と地方との間相互の緊急情報伝達を主眼としたシステムであり、そのため中央から地方へのびる幹線道路たる駅路と駅路沿いの駅家が整備され、情報伝達者は駅鈴を携帯し、駅家に各5-20匹置かれた駅馬を利用して駅路上を通行していた。